'antiaristocracy' originates from Modern English, formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') and 'aristocracy' (from Greek 'aristokratía', where 'aristos' meant 'best' and 'krátos' meant 'power or rule').

'antiaristocracy' is a modern compound created by attaching the prefix 'anti-' to 'aristocracy'. 'Aristocracy' entered English via Old French/Latin from the Greek 'aristokratía' and developed into the modern English 'aristocracy'; 'anti-' has been used in English since Classical and Medieval times as a combining form to express opposition.

Initially the elements meant 'against' + 'rule of the best'; over time the compound came to denote concrete movements, systems, or attitudes opposing aristocratic privilege or rule rather than only a literal opposition to the abstract concept.