'anti-Masonry' originates from Modern English, specifically the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek anti- meaning 'against') combined with 'Masonry' (from Old French 'maçonnerie' meaning 'stonework' and later used for the organization of masons).

'Masonry' changed from Old French 'maçonnerie' into Middle English forms such as 'masounrie' and eventually the modern English 'masonry'; the prefix 'anti-' was adopted from Greek via Latin and modern use to form compounds meaning 'against', producing 'anti-Masonry' in modern English usage (notably in 19th-century political contexts).

Initially, 'masonry' primarily meant 'stonework' and 'masonry' as craft; as 'Masonry' came to denote the fraternal organization (Freemasonry), 'anti-Masonry' came to mean opposition to that organization — a usage that became prominent in the 19th century and remains the core sense today.