'anti-parliament' originates from Modern English, specifically formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') combined with 'parliament' (from Old French 'parlement', from parler 'to speak').

'parliament' changed from Old French 'parlement' and Medieval Latin 'parlamentum', ultimately deriving from the verb forms meaning 'to speak' (Old French 'parler' / Latin roots). The compound 'anti-parliament' is a modern formation using the productive prefix 'anti-'.

Initially 'parliament' meant 'a speaking or discussion', which evolved into the modern sense of a legislative assembly; 'anti-parliament' therefore came to mean opposition to that institution or its procedures.