'anti-communist' originates from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') combined with 'communist', which ultimately derives from Latin 'communis' meaning 'common' via French 'communisme'/'communiste'.

'communist' developed from French 'communiste' (19th century) and English 'communism'; the compound 'anti-communist' arose in English in the late 19th to early 20th century to describe those opposed to communist ideas or movements.

Initially it simply meant 'against communism'; over time the term retained that core meaning but became strongly associated with specific political movements, policies, and Cold War contexts describing organized opposition to communism.