'anchorwoman' originates from modern English, formed by combining 'anchor' and 'woman', where 'anchor' in broadcasting meant 'a central presenter or stabilizer (one who 'anchors' a program)'.

'anchorwoman' developed by analogy with 'anchorman' (from 'anchor' + 'man'), with 'anchorman' appearing in 20th-century broadcasting terminology; the feminine form 'anchorwoman' followed as female presenters became common.

Initially 'anchor' literally meant a heavy device used to hold a ship in place; in the 20th century the word acquired the figurative broadcasting sense 'central presenter', and 'anchorwoman' came to mean a female holder of that role.