'anti-enlistment' originates from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti', meaning 'against') combined with the English noun 'enlistment' (from 'enlist' + suffix '-ment').

'anti-' entered English via Greek through Latin and Old French use of the element; 'enlistment' comes from Middle English 'enliste(n)'/Old French 'enlister' (to enroll, enter on a list) plus the noun-forming suffix '-ment'. The compound 'anti-enlistment' is a modern English formation combining these elements.

Initially the parts meant 'against' + 'enrollment/entry on a list'; over time the compound has been used specifically to denote opposition to joining military service or formal recruitment, a meaning that has remained stable in modern usage.