'antianopheline' was formed in modern scientific English from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek, meaning 'against') combined with 'anopheline' (relating to the mosquito genus 'Anopheles').

'antianopheline' is a compound of 'anti-' + 'anopheline'. 'Anopheline' itself derives from the genus name 'Anopheles' (Modern Latin), which comes from Greek 'anōphelēs' (ἀνώφελης), literally meaning 'useless' or 'harmful'.

Originally built as a literal compound meaning 'against Anopheles', it has come to be used specifically to describe agents or measures effective against Anopheles mosquitoes (often in the context of malaria control).