'anti-saloonist' originates from the combining forms 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-', meaning 'against'), 'saloon' (from French 'salon', originally 'large room' → later 'public room' or 'bar'), and the agent suffix '-ist' (from Greek/Latin/French, meaning 'one who practices or is concerned with').

'saloon' changed from French 'salon' and Italian 'salone' (meaning a large hall or reception room) into English 'saloon' (used for public rooms and later specifically for bars/taverns); combined with the prefix 'anti-' and suffix '-ist' in English usage around the late 19th century to form 'anti-saloonist', tied to the temperance movement.

Initially, the compound meant 'a person opposed to saloons/bars' in the context of late 19th–early 20th century temperance activism; the core meaning has remained the same but its usage is largely historical and specific to that movement.