'anilide' originates from International Scientific Vocabulary, specifically from 'aniline' plus the suffix '-ide,' where 'anil-' ultimately traced back to a word for 'indigo' and '-ide' denoted a derivative or anion.

'aniline' (from Portuguese 'anil' < Arabic 'an-nīl' < Sanskrit 'nīla') combined with the chemical suffix '-ide' in late 19th‑century nomenclature to yield the modern English word 'anilide'.

Initially, it meant either an aniline-derived amide or the corresponding aniline-derived anion/salt, and this dual chemical sense remains in current usage.