'anti-democrat' originates from Modern English, formed from the Greek-derived prefix 'anti-' and the noun 'democrat'; 'anti-' comes from Greek 'antí' meaning 'against', and 'democrat' comes ultimately from Greek 'demokratēs' (demos 'people' + kratos 'power').

'democrat' entered English in the late 18th century from French 'démocrate', which itself was formed from Greek 'demokratēs'. The modern compound 'anti-democrat' is an English formation using the productive prefix 'anti-' + 'democrat'.

Originally, 'democrat' meant 'a supporter of the rule of the people (democracy)'; the compound 'anti-democrat' therefore came to mean 'one who opposes that idea' or 'opposed to democratic rule', a meaning that follows directly from the parts.