'anti-floral' originates from a combination of Greek and Latin elements: Greek 'anti-' (ἀντί) meaning 'against' and Latin 'floralis' (from 'flos, floris') meaning 'flower'.

'anti-' (Greek) was productive in English compounds from the 17th century onward; 'floral' comes from Latin 'floralis' > Old French 'floral' > Middle English and modern English 'floral'. The compound 'anti-floral' is a modern English formation combining those elements.

Initially, the components separately meant 'against' and 'pertaining to flowers'; combined, the modern compound has been used to mean either 'opposed to floral patterns' or 'inhibiting flowering', depending on context.