'anti-ozonant' originates from modern English, formed by the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti', meaning 'against'), the noun 'ozone' (from Greek 'ozōn' / 'ozein', related to smelling and named for its characteristic odor), and the agent-forming suffix '-ant' (from Latin/Old French, used to form nouns/adjectives meaning 'performing' or 'causing').

'ozone' was coined in the mid-19th century (Christian Friedrich Schönbein) from Greek roots; the compound term 'antiozonant' or hyphenated 'anti-ozonant' arose in 20th-century industrial chemistry to name additives that protect materials from ozone and entered technical English through industry literature and standards.

Initially it literally meant 'against ozone' (i.e., opposing ozone), but over time it became specialized to mean 'a substance or treatment that protects materials from ozone-induced damage.'