'anti-utilitarian' originates from modern English, formed by the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against, opposed to') plus 'utilitarian' (relating to utilitarianism).

'anti-' comes from Greek αντι ('anti') meaning 'against' and entered English as a productive prefix; 'utilitarian' derives from 'utilitarianism', a term popularized in the early 19th century (associated with philosophers such as Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill) and ultimately from Latin 'utilitas' ('usefulness'). The compound 'anti-utilitarian' developed in modern English to label opposition to that doctrine.

Initially formed to indicate opposition to the specific philosophical doctrine 'utilitarianism', the term has also come to be used more broadly to describe resistance to prioritizing usefulness or utility in cultural, aesthetic, or policy judgments.