'anti-doctor' originates from modern English, formed by the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against, opposed to') attached to 'doctor' (from Latin 'doctor' meaning 'teacher', via Old French and Latin).

'doctor' comes from Latin 'doctor' meaning 'teacher' (from 'docēre', to teach); the English word 'doctor' developed through Old French and Middle English into the modern form. The prefix 'anti-' was borrowed from Greek into Latin and then into English and is commonly used in modern English to form compounds meaning 'against'. 'anti-doctor' is a modern compound combining these elements.

Initially the elements meant 'against' + 'teacher/doctor', and in modern usage 'anti-doctor' has come to mean opposition specifically to medical doctors or to mainstream medical practices rather than to the original sense of 'teacher'.