'anti-corruption' originates from two elements: the prefix 'anti-' and the noun 'corruption'. 'Anti-' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'antí', where 'anti-' meant 'against'. 'Corruption' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'corrūptio' (from 'corrumpere'), where 'corrumpere' meant 'to spoil or break.'

'corruption' changed from Latin 'corrūptio' (from 'corrumpere') into Old French 'corruption' and then into Middle English 'corruption'; the prefix 'anti-' entered English via Greek/Latin borrowing. The compound 'anti-corruption' developed in modern English (notably from the 19th–20th century) to describe opposition to corrupt practices.

Initially, the Latin root referred to spoiling or breaking; over time 'corruption' shifted to mean moral or political decay and dishonest conduct. The compound 'anti-corruption' therefore evolved to mean opposition to or prevention of such dishonest practices.