'anti-temperance' is a compound formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti', meaning 'against') + 'temperance' (from Latin 'temperantia' via Old French/English).

'Temperance' originates from Latin 'temperantia', from the verb 'temperare' meaning 'to moderate' or 'to mix properly'. The prefix 'anti-' comes from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against'. The compound 'anti-temperance' appears in English usage particularly in the 19th century during debates over the temperance and prohibition movements, combining 'anti-' with the established noun 'temperance'.

Initially coined to denote opposition specifically to the 19th-century temperance/prohibition movements, the term's meaning has remained stable and generally denotes opposition to temperance or temperance policies.