'anti-enzyme' is a compound formed in modern English from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek anti- meaning 'against') and 'enzyme' (from German 'Enzym', ultimately from Greek 'enzymē').

'anti-' entered English via Greek (through Latin/French borrowings) meaning 'against'; 'enzyme' was coined in German in the late 19th century (from Greek 'enzymē', from en- 'in' + zyme 'leaven'). The compound 'anti-enzyme' is a modern English formation combining these elements.

Initially composed simply to mean 'against enzyme', the term has retained this basic sense but has specialized in scientific usage to refer to inhibitors or antibodies targeting enzymes.