'animadverter' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'animadvertere', where 'animus' meant 'mind' and 'advertere' meant 'to turn toward'.

'animadvertere' passed into Early Modern English as the verb 'animadvert'; the agent noun 'animadverter' was then formed in English with the suffix '-er', yielding the modern English noun 'animadverter'.

Initially, it meant 'one who turns the mind to something; a noticer/observer', but over time it narrowed to its common sense of 'one who censures or criticizes'.