'anticatarrhal' originates from Greek elements via New Latin/English: the prefix 'anti-' (Greek 'anti', meaning 'against') combined with 'catarrh' (Greek 'katarrhē', meaning 'a flowing down' or nasal discharge) plus the English adjectival suffix '-al'.

'anticatarrhal' was formed in New Latin/early modern medical English from the combination of 'anti-' + 'catarrh' (compare New Latin formations such as 'anticatarrhālis'), and eventually entered modern English usage as 'anticatarrhal'.

Initially it meant 'acting against catarrh' in medical contexts, and this core meaning has largely remained unchanged into current usage.