'anticholagogue' originates from a modern English formation using Greek elements, specifically the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti') where it meant 'against', combined with 'cholagogue' which derives from Greek 'cholé' meaning 'bile' and the element '-agogue' from Greek 'agein' meaning 'to lead'.

'anticholagogue' was formed in English by combining 'anti-' with the established medical word 'cholagogue' (itself from Greek 'cholagōgos' via Late Latin/Medieval Latin), producing a term meaning 'against a cholagogue'; the constituent 'cholagogue' entered English through Late Latin/Medieval usage before the compound was coined.

Initially it denoted an agent that opposed or prevented the discharge of bile; over time it has remained a specialized medical term retaining that same core meaning.