'anti-Spiritualism' originates from modern English, combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') with 'Spiritualism' (from 'spirit' + the suffix '-ism', denoting a doctrine or movement).

'Spiritualism' developed in the 19th century from the noun 'spirit' plus the suffixes forming '-ual' and '-ism' to denote a doctrine; later, the prefix 'anti-' was attached in modern English to indicate opposition, producing 'anti-Spiritualism'.

Initially it referred specifically to opposition to the organized movement called 'Spiritualism'; over time it has been used more generally for opposition to beliefs or practices involving communication with spirits.