'anti-aristocratical' originates from Greek-derived prefix 'anti-' and the adjective 'aristocratical'. 'anti-' comes from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against', and 'aristocratical' derives from 'aristocrat' (see below).

'aristocrat' originates from Greek 'aristokratēs' (ἀριστοκράτης), formed from 'aristo-' ('best') + 'kratos' ('rule'). It passed into Late Latin and French (e.g. 'aristocrate') and then into English as 'aristocrat'; the adjective 'aristocratical' developed via the suffix '-ical', and in modern English compounds the prefix 'anti-' was added to form 'anti-aristocratical'.

Initially the root referred specifically to 'rule by the best' (the aristocracy); over time compounds like 'anti-aristocratical' have come to mean broadly 'opposed to aristocracy or aristocratic privilege' in political and social contexts.