'anti-establishmentism' is formed from three parts: the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against'), 'establishment' (from Old French 'establir' / Medieval Latin 'stabilire' meaning 'to make firm' or 'set up'), and the suffix '-ism' (from Greek '-ismos' via Latin and French, meaning 'practice, system, or ideology').

'anti-establishmentism' arose in modern English by compounding 'anti-' + 'establishment' + '-ism' (20th century), deriving from earlier uses of 'anti-establishment' to describe opposition to the establishment; the full noun form '-ism' was added to name the ideology or movement.

Initially formed to label opposition to established institutions in specific contexts (e.g., arts, politics), it has come to refer broadly to the ideology, sentiment, or movements opposing established authority.