'antecabinet' originates from Latin and English: the Latin prefix 'ante-' meaning 'before' combined with English 'cabinet' (from French 'cabinet'), where 'ante-' meant 'before' and 'cabinet' meant 'a small private room'.

'antecabinet' formed in English by combining the Latin-derived prefix 'ante-' with the noun 'cabinet' (which came into English via Old French 'cabine'/'cabinet'); the components 'ante-' + 'cabinet' produced the compound 'antecabinet' in modern English usage.

Initially, the components literally meant 'the room before the cabinet'; the compound's meaning has remained essentially that, though the word itself is now rare or archaic.