'anti-paedobaptism' originates from modern English, combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') with 'paedobaptism' (from Greek 'paidos' meaning 'child' + 'baptizein' meaning 'to baptize').

'paedobaptism' comes from Greek roots 'paidos' and 'baptizein', passed into Late Latin and then Middle English as the concept of 'infant baptism'; the compound 'anti-paedobaptism' formed in modern English by adding the prefix 'anti-' to denote opposition.

Initially 'paedobaptism' meant 'the baptism of children'; with the addition of the prefix 'anti-' the compound came to mean 'opposition to that practice' and is used to describe a theological stance rejecting infant baptism.