'anticompetitive' originates from Modern English, formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti', where 'anti-' meant 'against') and the adjective 'competitive', which ultimately derives from Latin 'competere' (meaning 'to strive together' or 'strive for the same thing').

'competere' passed into Old French (e.g. 'competre'/'competir') and then into Middle and Modern English as 'compete' and 'competitive'; the modern prefixed form 'anticompetitive' developed by combining English 'anti-' with 'competitive' in the 20th century, especially in legal and economic usage.

Initially it literally meant 'against competition'; over time it has come to be used specifically for practices or policies that reduce or eliminate competition, particularly in antitrust law and regulatory contexts.