'anti-Black' originates from the Greek prefix 'anti-' (from Greek ἀντί, 'antí') meaning 'against' and the English word 'Black' (from Old English 'blæc'), where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'blæc' meant 'black, dark, or burned'.

'anti-' passed into Latin and Old French as a productive prefix and entered English usage to form compounds; 'Black' evolved from Old English 'blæc' (from Proto-Germanic '*blakaz'). The modern compound 'anti-Black' was formed in English by combining the prefix and the adjective to denote opposition toward Black people.

Initially, 'blæc' meant 'black, dark, or burned' and later came to denote the color and, by extension, people of African descent; 'anti-' retained the meaning 'against'. Over time the compound 'anti-Black' came to mean 'opposed to or hostile toward Black people', describing attitudes, practices, or systems.