'anti-ritual' is a modern English compound formed from the Greek-derived prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'antí' meaning 'against') and the noun 'ritual' (from Latin 'ritualis' ultimately from 'ritus', meaning 'rite' or 'ceremony').

'ritual' entered English via Latin 'ritualis' and Old French 'rituel' and became Middle English 'ritual'; the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'antí') has long been used in English to form compounds meaning 'against' or 'opposed to'. The hyphenated compound 'anti-ritual' is a relatively recent Modern English formation used to label opposition to ritual practices, particularly in 20th–21st century discourse.

Individually, 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'ritual' meant 'rite/ceremony'; combined, the compound came to mean specifically 'opposed to ritual practices' or 'rejecting ceremonial/formal rites' in contemporary usage.