'anti-nationalisation' is formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti', meaning 'against') combined with 'nationalisation' (from 'nationalise' + suffix '-ation'); 'national' ultimately derives from Latin 'natio' meaning 'birth, people'.

'anti-' comes from Greek 'anti' and entered English via Latin/Old French; 'national' developed from Latin 'natio' → Old French 'nacion' → Middle English 'nacioun'; the verb-form 'nationalise' (19th century) plus '-ation' produced 'nationalisation', and combining with 'anti-' produced the compound 'anti-nationalisation' in modern political usage.

The elements originally meant 'against' (anti-) and 'people/birth' (natio → national), but together the compound evolved to mean specifically 'opposition to the transfer of private property or industries into state ownership' in contemporary political contexts.