1620s, "inducing sleep," originally used of drugs, from French hypnotique (16c.) "inclined to sleep, soporific," from Late Latin hypnoticus, from Greek hypnotikos "inclined to sleep, putting to sleep, sleepy," from hypnoun "put to sleep," from hypnos "sleep" (see somnolence). Modern sense of "pertaining to an induced trance" first recorded in English 1843, along with hypnotist, hypnotize, both coined by Dr. James Braid. Related: Hypnotical; hypnotically.