'anti-traditional' is a compound formed from the prefix 'anti-' and the adjective 'traditional'. 'anti-' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'anti', where 'anti-' meant 'against'. 'traditional' comes via Latin 'tradition-' from 'traditio' (to hand over) with the adjectival suffix '-al' from Latin '-alis'.

'traditio' (Latin) gave rise to Old French/Medieval Latin forms such as 'traditio'/'traditionalis', which entered Middle English as 'tradition' and 'traditional'. The prefix 'anti-' (Greek) was later attached to form the compound 'anti-traditional' in modern English.

Initially the elements literally meant 'against' + 'that which is handed down'; over time the compound's meaning stabilized as 'opposed to or rejecting tradition', a usage consistent with modern English.