'anthranilic' originates from New Latin (Neo-Latin), specifically the word 'anthranilicus', where the suffix '-icus' (later '-ic' in English) meant 'of or relating to' and the stem 'anthranil-' referred to the compound anthranilic acid.

'anthranilicus' (New Latin) passed into chemical usage in several European languages (e.g. German 'Anthranilsäure' for anthranilic acid) in 19th-century chemical literature and was adopted into English as 'anthranilic' to denote relation to anthranilic acid and its derivatives.

Initially it referred specifically to the acid itself ('of or pertaining to anthranilic acid'); over time it has been used more broadly as a technical adjective for substances, groups, or properties derived from or related to anthranilic acid.