'anti-mnemonic' originates from Modern English by combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti', where 'anti' meant 'against') and 'mnemonic' (ultimately from Greek 'mnēmōn', where the root 'mnēm-' meant 'memory').

'mnemonic' changed from Greek 'mnēmōn' → Latin 'mnemonicus' → Medieval/Modern Latin and Old French forms → entered English as 'mnemonic'; 'anti-' was borrowed from Greek into English as a productive prefix. The compound 'anti-mnemonic' is a modern English formation created by combining these elements.

Initially the elements meant 'against' (anti-) and 'of memory' (mnemonic); when combined in modern usage they meant 'against aiding memory' or 'opposing memorization', a meaning that has remained descriptive and specialized rather than shifting widely over time.