'anti-mechanisation' originates from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'antí') meaning 'against' and from 'mechanisation', ultimately from Greek 'mēkhanē' and Late Latin 'machina', where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'mēkhanē' meant 'device' or 'machine'.

'mechanisation' changed from French 'mécanisation' (and the verb 'mécaniser') into English 'mechanisation' via Modern French and Late Latin forms derived from Greek 'mēkhanē'; the compound 'anti-mechanisation' is a modern English formation combining the prefix 'anti-' with that noun.

Initially the elements literally meant 'against machines' (i.e., opposition to machines). Over time the compound has taken on broader socio-political senses, referring not only to literal machines but to policies or movements resisting industrial automation and its social effects.