'anti-puritan' is a compound of the prefix 'anti-' and 'puritan'. The prefix 'anti-' originates from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against, opposite', while 'puritan' comes from English 'Puritan', originally referring to members of the 16th–17th century religious movement.

'puritan' entered English from late Middle English, influenced by ecclesiastical Latin 'puritanus' (related to Latin 'puritas' meaning 'purity') and Old French forms; the modern English element 'anti-' was borrowed from Greek and Latin usage of the prefix meaning 'against', producing the compound 'anti-puritan' to denote opposition to Puritanism.

Initially, the elements meant 'against' + 'a follower of Puritanism'; over time the compound has been used both as a noun (a person opposed to Puritanism) and as an adjective (expressing opposition to puritanical attitudes), with its basic sense of opposition remaining stable.