'anti-suffragist' originates from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti', where 'anti' meant 'against') combined with 'suffragist,' which in turn is built on 'suffrage' (from Latin 'suffragium').

'suffrage' changed from Latin word 'suffragium' to Old French forms and then into Middle English as 'suffrage'; 'suffragist' was coined in the 19th century to denote a supporter of suffrage, and 'anti-suffragist' arose in the late 19th/early 20th century during debates over women's voting rights.

Initially it meant 'a person opposed to the extension of the franchise (voting rights), especially women's suffrage.' Over time the core meaning has remained largely the same and the term is now mainly used in historical contexts.