'anti-patriarchism' is formed from the prefix 'anti-' (Greek 'anti-', meaning 'against'), the root 'patriarch' (from Greek 'patriarkhēs' via Latin/Old French, meaning 'father ruler'), and the suffix '-ism' (from Greek/Latin, forming nouns that denote doctrines or systems).

'patriarch' comes from Greek 'patriarkhēs' ('patēr' meaning 'father' + 'arkhē' meaning 'rule'); this entered Latin and Old French before Middle English. The modern compound 'anti-patriarchism' was created by adding 'anti-' and '-ism' to form a noun describing opposition to that system.

Originally, 'patriarch' referred specifically to a 'father' or a male leader (in family or church contexts); over time it came to denote broader social systems of male dominance. 'Anti-patriarchism' thus evolved to denote opposition to those broader systems and ideologies.