'antiballistic' originates from the Greek prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'antí') meaning 'against' and from 'ballistic', which ultimately comes from Greek 'ballein' meaning 'to throw' (via Late Latin/French 'ballistique').

'antiballistic' formed in English by combining the prefix 'anti-' + 'ballistic' in the 20th century (notably in phrases like 'anti-ballistic missile') and later became used as the single-word adjective 'antiballistic'.

Initially related more generally to opposition to thrown/projected objects, the term evolved to refer specifically to measures or systems 'against ballistic missiles' with the rise of missile technology.