'antichresic' originates from New Latin/Modern English usage, ultimately from the Late Latin/Medieval Latin term 'antichresis', which itself comes from Greek elements.

'antichresic' (adjectival and nominal use) traces back to Medieval/Legal Latin 'antichresis' and the ancient Greek word 'ἀντίχρησις' ('antíchrēsis'), composed of 'ἀντί' ('anti-') meaning 'against' or 'in place of' and 'χρῆσις' ('chrēsis') meaning 'use'. The Latin form entered English via legal and ecclesiastical Latin and produced the modern English terms 'antichresis' and 'antichresic'.

Initially, the Greek-derived term referred broadly to an 'opposite or substitute use' (i.e., using property instead of paying money); over time it became a technical legal term for the specific security arrangement in which use of property serves as collateral, and the English 'antichresic' denotes either the arrangement or something relating to it.