'antialcoholist' originates from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti', meaning 'against') combined with the Modern English noun 'alcoholist' (from 'alcohol'). 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'alcoholist' refers to a person associated with alcohol or habitual drinking.

'antialcoholist' was formed by combining 'anti-' + 'alcoholist' in Modern English (likely arising in contexts connected to 19th–20th century temperance and prohibition movements). 'alcohol' itself came into English via Medieval Latin/French from Arabic 'al-kuḥl', originally referring to a powdered substance and later to distilled substances.

Initially it simply marked opposition to alcohol or alcoholics ('against alcohol'). Over time the sense has remained stable and is used to identify supporters of temperance or prohibitionist views.