'anti-suffragism' originates from English elements 'anti-' and 'suffragism'; 'anti-' ultimately comes from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against', and 'suffragism' derives from Latin 'suffragium' meaning 'vote'.

'suffragium' (Latin) gave rise to Old French 'suffrage' and Middle English 'suffrage'; from that developed 'suffragist' and 'suffragism' in modern English, and in the late 19th century the compound 'anti-suffragism' was formed to denote organized opposition to extending the franchise.

Initially it referred broadly to opposition to extending voting rights; over time the term came to be used especially for organized opposition to women's suffrage, though its core meaning (opposition to suffrage) has remained stable.