'anti-spirituality' is a modern English compound formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') and 'spirituality' (from 'spirit' + suffix '-uality').

'spirituality' comes from Latin 'spiritus' ('breath, spirit') via Old French/Medieval Latin and the adjective 'spiritual' + the abstract noun-forming suffix '-ity'; the productive prefix 'anti-' (Greek 'anti-') has been used in English since the 16th century to form oppositional compounds, and 'anti-spirituality' arises in modern usage by combining these elements.

Initially, 'spiritus' referred to 'breath' or 'life force'; over time 'spirituality' evolved to mean concerns of the spirit or religious/mystical experience. The compound 'anti-spirituality' therefore developed to mean 'being opposed to those spiritual concerns' in contemporary discourse.