'anti-episcopalian' originates from a combination of the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') and 'episcopalian' (from 'episcopal', ultimately from Greek 'episkopos' meaning 'overseer' or 'supervisor').

'episkopos' in Greek went into Latin as 'episcopus', then into Medieval Latin and Old French forms related to church office; from these came English 'episcopal' and later 'episcopalian'. The modern compound 'anti-episcopalian' formed by adding 'anti-' to 'episcopalian' to express opposition.

Initially the elements referred specifically to 'against (the) overseer(s)' or opposition to the office of bishops; over time the compound has come to mean generally 'opposed to episcopal government or the Episcopal Church'.