'anti-Lockean' originates from Modern English, combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek anti- meaning 'against') with 'Lockean', an adjective formed from the name 'Locke' (John Locke) plus the adjectival suffix '-ean'.

'Lockean' developed from the proper name 'Locke' (17th century philosopher) with the suffix '-ean' to form an adjective. 'anti-' was then prefixed in later scholarly and polemical usage to create 'anti-Lockean' (19th–20th century onward) to describe opposition to Locke's ideas.

Initially used simply to indicate opposition to Locke's positions, the term has remained specialized and continues to mean 'against Lockean philosophy' in contemporary academic and political contexts.