'anthracothere' originates from New Latin (the genus name 'Anthracotherium'), ultimately from Greek 'anthrax' and 'therion', where 'anthrax' meant 'coal' and 'therion' meant 'beast'.

'Anthracotherium' was formed in New Latin from Greek elements 'anthrax' + 'therion' and the English taxonomic noun 'anthracothere' developed from that genus name to denote members of the family Anthracotheriidae.

Initially it meant 'coal beast' (a literal reference to fossils found in coal or carbon-bearing deposits), but over time it has come to refer specifically to any member of the extinct family Anthracotheriidae.