'anti-nuke' originates from Greek and English, specifically the prefix 'anti-' (Greek) and the colloquial English word 'nuke' (from 'nuclear'), where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'nuke' was a shortening of 'nuclear' (referring to nuclear weapons or nuclear power).

'anti-nuke' changed from the English word 'nuclear' via the colloquial shortening 'nuke' (a 20th-century informal form of 'nuclear') and the addition of the Greek-derived prefix 'anti-', and eventually became the modern English compound 'anti-nuke' used especially in 20th-century protest language.

Initially it primarily meant 'against nuclear weapons,' but over time it evolved to include opposition to nuclear power and broader anti-nuclear positions.