'anti-wear' originates from Greek and Old English, specifically the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') combined with Old English 'werian'/'wer' (related to 'wear', meaning 'to be worn or to wear away'), where 'anti-' meant 'against' and the root for 'wear' meant 'to be worn/consumed by use'.

'anti-wear' formed in Modern English as a compound of the prefix 'anti-' and the noun/verb 'wear'; it became common in industrial and lubrication terminology in the late 19th to 20th century as machinery and lubricants were developed and described technically.

Initially a literal compound meaning 'against wearing' or 'opposed to wear'; over time it evolved into a technical adjective describing products or treatments that prevent wear and, as a noun, to name additives or agents that perform that function.