'antibacteriolytic' originates from Modern English formation combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against'), the combining form 'bacterio-' (from Greek 'bakterion' meaning 'small staff', used for 'bacterium') and the suffix '-lytic' (from Greek 'lytikos' meaning 'able to loosen or dissolve').

'antibacteriolytic' was formed by adding the prefix 'anti-' to the existing scientific formation 'bacteriolytic' (which itself is built from 'bacterio-' + 'lytic', via Neo-Latin/Modern scientific English). The element 'bacterio-' entered English through New Latin from Greek, and '-lytic' comes from Greek-derived medical/scientific usage.

Initially it literally signified 'against bacteriolysis' (i.e., acting against the lytic destruction of bacteria); in modern usage it is used in scientific contexts to describe agents, properties, or activities that inhibit bacterial lysis.