'anti-bibliolatrous' originates from Greek elements: 'anti-' (Greek) meaning 'against', 'biblion' (Greek) meaning 'book', and 'latreia' (Greek) meaning 'worship', combined in English to form the adjective 'anti-bibliolatrous'. 'anti-' originates from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against'; 'biblion' (Greek) meant 'book'; 'latreia' (Greek) meant 'worship'.

'anti-bibliolatrous' developed in English by prefixing 'anti-' to the adjective derived from the noun 'bibliolatry' (from 'biblio-' + 'latry/latreia'). 'bibliolatry' ('biblio-' + '-latry') produced 'bibliolatrous' (adjective), and the modern compound 'anti-bibliolatrous' expresses opposition to that condition.

Initially formed to mean 'against bibliolatry' (i.e., opposed to book-worship); over time it has been used consistently to describe attitudes or positions that reject the uncritical reverence of books, with little change in core meaning.