'anthophyllitic' originates from New Latin via the mineral name 'anthophyllite', specifically from Greek roots 'anthos' and 'phyllon', where 'anthos' meant 'flower' and 'phyllon' meant 'leaf', combined with the mineral-forming suffix '-ite' and the adjectival suffix '-ic'.

'anthophyllitic' developed from the mineral name 'anthophyllite' (New Latin), which itself was formed from Greek 'anthos' + 'phyllon' and the suffix '-ite'; the adjective was later formed by adding '-ic'/'-itic' to denote 'of or pertaining to' the mineral.

Initially, the formation referred specifically to the mineral 'anthophyllite'; over time the adjective 'anthophyllitic' came to mean 'relating to or containing anthophyllite' in geological descriptions.