'anthracenyl' originates from modern chemical nomenclature, specifically from the word 'anthracene' + the suffix '-yl', where 'anthracene' ultimately comes from Greek 'ánthrax' meaning 'coal' and '-yl' denotes a radical or substituent.

'anthracene' entered scientific English via New Latin/European languages (e.g. French 'anthracène') from Greek 'ánthrax' ('coal') to name an aromatic hydrocarbon found in coal tar; later, in 19th-century organic chemistry the suffix '-yl' was appended to form 'anthracenyl' to indicate the radical/ substituent derived from anthracene.

Initially, the root 'anthracene' referred to a substance associated with coal; over time it became the established name for the specific polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, and 'anthracenyl' came to mean 'the radical or substituent derived from anthracene' in modern chemical usage.