'anterocclusion' is a compound formed from the combining form 'antero-' (from Latin 'anterior', meaning 'before' or 'in front') and 'occlusion' (from Latin 'occlusio', from 'occludere', meaning 'to shut or close').

'anterocclusion' combines the Neo-Latin/medical prefix 'antero-' (based on Latin 'anterior') with the Latin-derived English noun 'occlusion'. Medical usage developed by attaching classical combining forms to describe types of malocclusion in modern dental terminology.

Originally constructed to mean 'closure or contact at the front', it has come to be used specifically in dentistry to denote a malocclusion involving the anterior teeth.