'antemarginal' originates from Latin, specifically the prefix 'ante' and the Late Latin/Medieval element 'margin-' (from 'margo'/'margine'), where 'ante' meant 'before' and 'margo' meant 'edge' or 'border'.

'antemarginal' developed by combining the Latin prefix 'ante-' ('before') with the adjective-forming element from Latin/Medieval Latin 'marginalis' (from 'margo'/'margine' meaning 'edge'); the compound appears in scientific and descriptive English from later Modern Latin usage and specialized 19th–20th century literature.

Initially it literally meant 'before the margin' (i.e., located in front of an edge); over time it has remained a technical descriptive term used in anatomy, zoology, and related fields with essentially the same sense.