'anti-Red' originates from Greek and Old English influences: the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'ἀντί' via Latin/Old French) where 'anti-' meant 'against', combined with English 'Red' (from Old English 'rēad' meaning the color 'red'), which later acquired a political sense referring to communists.

'anti-' entered English as a productive prefix from Latin/Old French (ultimately from Greek 'ἀντί'), while 'Red' (Old English 'rēad') developed a political meaning in the 19th century as a label for revolutionaries and communists; the compound 'anti-Red' arose in 20th-century political discourse (notably during the Cold War) to mean opposition to 'Reds'.

Initially the elements literally referred to 'against red (the color)', but as 'Red' gained the political sense 'communist', 'anti-Red' came to mean 'opposed to communists' rather than opposition to the color.