The word 'steroidal' is a modern scientific adjective built upon the noun 'steroid.' Its core, 'ster,' originates from the Greek stereos, meaning "solid." This was chosen by early 20th-century chemists to name 'sterols' like cholesterol, reflecting the molecules' characteristic solid, rigid multi-ring structure. The suffix '-oid,' from Greek for "resembling," was appended to create 'steroid,' denoting substances structurally similar to these sterols. Finally, the common adjectival suffix '-al' (of Latin origin) was added to form 'steroidal,' literally meaning "relating to or having the form of a solid-structured compound," which precisely describes its chemical and biological context.

Structure: ster (solid) + oid (resembling) + al (adjective suffix) - ster: From Greek stereos, meaning "solid, firm, three-dimensional." In this word, it refers to the solid, rigid ring structure characteristic of steroid molecules. - oid: From Greek -oeidēs, meaning "having the form of, resembling." A suffix used to form adjectives and nouns indicating likeness. - al: From Latin -alis, an adjective-forming suffix meaning "of, relating to, or characterized by."