'anti-oxidation' originates from combining the Greek prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti') and the scientific noun 'oxidation' (from Modern Latin/French 'oxydation' ultimately related to 'oxygen'), where 'anti-' meant 'against' and the element name 'oxygen' was coined from Greek 'oxys' meaning 'sharp' or 'acid-forming'.

'oxidation' developed in scientific English in the late 18th to 19th century from 'oxygen' + the noun-forming suffix '-ation'; the compound 'anti-oxidation' arose later (mainly 20th century) by prefixing 'anti-' to denote resistance to or prevention of oxidation.

Initially the components referred specifically to being 'against oxygen' or 'against oxygen action'; over time the compound came to mean broader 'prevention or slowing of oxidation/corrosion' in materials, chemistry, and engineering contexts.