'anteclassical' originates from Latin, specifically the prefix 'ante' meaning 'before', combined with 'classical' (from Latin 'classicus').

'classical' changed from Latin 'classicus' into Late Latin and Old French forms and eventually became Middle and then modern English 'classical'; the prefix 'ante' remained from Latin 'ante' and was attached to form 'anteclassical'.

Initially, the element components referred simply to 'before' ('ante') and to matters relating to 'class' or 'classicus'; over time the combined term came to mean specifically 'occurring before the classical period' in scholarly contexts.