'anarchize' originates from Medieval Latin, specifically the word 'anarchia,' where 'an-' meant 'without' and 'archos' meant 'ruler.' The suffix '-ize' is used to form verbs meaning 'to make or become.'

'anarchia' transformed into the English noun 'anarchy,' and with the addition of the verb-forming suffix '-ize,' it eventually became the modern English word 'anarchize.'

Initially, it meant 'to make into a state of anarchy,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.