'anti-communist' originates from English, specifically formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' where 'anti-' meant 'against') combined with 'communist' (from French 'communiste', ultimately from Latin 'communis' meaning 'common').

'anti-communist' developed in 20th century English by combining the productive prefix 'anti-' + the political noun 'communist' (from French 'communiste'); the compound became widely used during the interwar period and especially the Cold War to describe opposition to communism.

Initially it meant 'against communism or communists' in a straightforward political sense; over time the term retained that core meaning but broadened to cover cultural, social, and economic opposition to communist ideas and movements.