'anti-Jewish' originates from Modern English, formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') and 'Jewish' (derived from 'Jew' + the adjectival suffix '-ish').

'Jew' comes via Old English 'Iude' from Latin 'Iudaeus', from Greek 'Ioudaios', ultimately from Hebrew 'Yehudi'. The prefix 'anti-' is from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against', adopted into English via Latin/French; the suffix '-ish' comes from Old English '-isc'. These elements combined in modern English to form 'anti-Jewish'.

Initially the components literally meant 'against Jews'; over time the compound has retained this core sense, used to describe attitudes, actions, or rhetoric hostile to Jews.