'anarchist' originates from French, specifically the word 'anarchiste', which comes from the Greek 'anarkhos', where 'an-' meant 'without' and 'arkhos' meant 'ruler'.

'anarchiste' was adopted into English as 'anarchist' in the 17th century, and its plural form became 'anarchists'.

Initially, it meant 'a person who believes in or tries to bring about anarchy', and this meaning has remained consistent in modern usage.