'anti-ascetic' originates from Greek elements and English compounding: the prefix 'anti-' comes from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against', and 'ascetic' comes from Greek 'askētikos' (from 'askḗsis' / 'askein') referring to practice or exercise often in a religious/self-disciplining sense.

'ascetic' entered English via Late Latin 'asceticus' and Old French forms from Greek 'askētikos'; the modern compound 'anti-ascetic' is formed in English by joining the prefix 'anti-' with the adjective 'ascetic' to express opposition to asceticism (formed in modern English usage from the 18th–19th centuries onward).

Initially, the Greek root related to 'exercise' or 'training' (leading to religious self-discipline); over time 'ascetic' came to mean strict self-denial, and 'anti-ascetic' evolved to mean opposing that strict self-denial—often implying a favoring of comfort or pleasure.