'anti-charitable' is a modern English compound formed from the prefix 'anti-' and the adjective 'charitable'; 'anti-' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'anti', where 'anti-' meant 'against', and 'charitable' comes from English 'charitable' (from Old French and ultimately Latin).

'charitable' comes from Latin 'caritas' (meaning 'dearness, charity'), passed into Old French (e.g. 'charité', 'cheritable') and Middle English as 'charitable'; in modern English the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek) was attached to produce 'anti-charitable' to indicate opposition to charity or the quality of being charitable.

Initially related elements referred to 'charity' in the sense of Christian love or giving; over time 'charitable' gained the meaning 'generous in giving' and 'kind in judgment'. The compound 'anti-charitable' originally meant 'against charitable giving or institutions' and has also come to be used figuratively to mean 'not generous or lenient in judging others'.