'anti-androgenic' originates from Modern English, specifically a combination of the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti') meaning 'against' and 'androgen' (from New Latin/Greek), where 'andro-' meant 'man' and '-gen' meant 'to produce', with the adjective-forming suffix '-ic'.

'androgen' was formed in New Latin from Greek elements 'andr-' or 'andros' meaning 'man' and a form related to 'gennan' meaning 'to produce'; in modern scientific English this became 'androgen', and later the English prefix 'anti-' and suffix '-ic' combined with it to form 'anti-androgenic'.

Initially, roots referred to 'producing male characteristics'; over time 'androgen' came to mean 'male sex hormone' and 'anti-androgenic' came to mean 'opposing or inhibiting those hormones or their effects'.