'anti-hierarchy' is a compound of the prefix 'anti-' (originates from Greek 'anti', meaning 'against') and the noun 'hierarchy' (originates from Greek 'hierarkhia', where 'hieros' meant 'sacred' and 'arkhos' meant 'ruler').

'hierarchy' entered English via Late Latin 'hierarchia' from Greek 'hierarkhia', and the productive English prefix 'anti-' has been attached to nouns in modern English to form compounds such as 'anti-hierarchy'.

The elements originally referred to 'against' and 'sacred rule'; over time the compound's sense broadened to mean general opposition to systems of ranked authority rather than only to religious or 'sacred' rule.