'anti-squatting' is a modern compound formed from the prefix 'anti-' and the gerund 'squatting'. The prefix 'anti-' originates from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against' (via Latin and French), used in English to indicate opposition.

The element 'squat' comes from Middle English 'squatten' (related to crouching or settling) and earlier Old French forms; over time 'squat' developed the specific sense of occupying land or property without permission, giving rise to the noun/verb 'squatting'. The compound 'anti-squatting' arose in recent legal and policy usage by combining 'anti-' with 'squatting' (the participle/noun).

Originally, 'squat' primarily conveyed 'to crouch' or 'to settle low'; over time it took on the meaning 'to occupy land or buildings without legal right'. 'Anti-squatting' therefore initially meant simply 'against squatting' and is now used specifically for measures, laws, or attitudes opposing unlawful occupation.