'anti-Romanticism' is formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'antí' meaning 'against') combined with 'Romanticism' (the noun form of 'Romantic', relating to the Romantic movement).

'Romanticism' derives from 'Romantic', which stems from 'romance' (Old French 'romanz') referring originally to vernacular narratives; 'Romantic' became an adjective in English in the late 18th century to describe the artistic movement, and the compound 'anti-Romanticism' arose later as a label for opposition to that movement.

Initially, 'anti-Romanticism' primarily referred to explicit critical or political opposition to the historical Romantic movement; over time it has broadened to describe any stance or tendency that favors restraint, reason, or classical forms over Romantic values of emotion and individualism.