'anti-chlorine' originates from the combining form 'anti-' (from Greek 'antí') and the chemical name 'chlorine' (Modern English), where 'anti-' meant 'against' and Greek 'chlorós' meant 'greenish-yellow'.

'anti-chlorine' is a modern compound formed in English by joining the prefix 'anti-' (via Latin/French transmission from Greek) to the 19th-century chemical name 'chlorine' (coined in Modern English from French/Greek).

Initially the elements meant simply 'against' + 'chlorine'; over time the compound has been used specifically to denote substances or measures that neutralize, remove, or avoid chlorine rather than a general 'opposition' to chlorine.