'antero-dorsal' originates from Neo-Latin/modern scientific formation, specifically combining the prefix 'antero-' (from Latin 'ante' meaning 'before') and 'dorsal' (from Latin 'dorsum' meaning 'back').

'antero-dorsal' was formed in scientific/technical Latin and English by combining the combining form 'antero-' (from Late/Neo-Latin) with 'dorsal' (from Latin 'dorsalis' < 'dorsum'), and was adopted into English anatomical and biological terminology as 'antero-dorsal' (also seen as 'anterodorsal').

Initially a literal compound meaning 'before the back' (i.e., 'in front of the back'), it evolved into the anatomical adjective meaning 'located toward the front portion of the dorsal surface.'