'anti-theology' originates from Modern English, combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'antí') meaning 'against' and 'theology' (from Greek 'theologia') meaning 'discourse about God'.

'theology' comes from Greek 'theologia' which passed into Latin as 'theologia' and then into Middle English as 'theologie'; the prefix 'anti-' comes from Greek 'antí' and was attached in Modern English to form the compound 'anti-theology'.

Initially a literal compound meaning 'against theology,' the term has come to denote not only opposition but also systematic critique or alternative frameworks to traditional theological discourse.