'anti-classical' originates as a modern English compound formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') and the adjective 'classical' (from Latin 'classicus' via French/Latin), so it literally means 'against classical'.

'anti-classical' was created in English by attaching the productive prefix 'anti-' to 'classical'. The word 'classical' itself evolved from Latin 'classicus' (meaning 'of the class, first-class, pertaining to a class') through Old French/Classical borrowings and Middle English into modern English.

Initially used to indicate opposition to the styles or principles of the classical tradition (especially in arts and music), the term has largely retained that sense but has extended into broader critical and theoretical contexts to mark opposition to 'classical' doctrines or orthodoxies.