'anti-xerophthalmic' is formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-', meaning 'against') and 'xerophthalmic' (from New Latin/Greek elements 'xero-' from Greek 'xēros' meaning 'dry' and 'ophthalm-' from Greek 'ophthalmos' meaning 'eye').

'xerophthalmia' comes from Greek 'xēros' + 'ophthalmos', entered New Latin as 'xerophthalmia' and became English 'xerophthalmia' (referring to dry eye disease); the adjective 'xerophthalmic' developed from that noun, and the modern compound 'anti-xerophthalmic' was formed in English by adding the prefix 'anti-'.

Initially the elements referred directly to 'dry' ('xēros') and 'eye' ('ophthalmos'), and the compound names indicated the condition of 'dry eye'; 'anti-xerophthalmic' has the straightforward, current meaning 'acting against dry-eye conditions'.