'anticonfederative' originates from a combination of the prefix 'anti-' from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against' and the adjective 'confederative' derived from Latin 'confoederatus' (from 'con-' + 'foedus'), where 'con-' meant 'with' and 'foedus' meant 'league' or 'treaty'.

'anticonfederative' was formed by prefixing 'anti-' to the English adjective 'confederative'. 'Confederative' comes from Middle English 'confederate' (via Old French 'confédérer') ultimately from Latin 'confoederare'/'confoederatus' and the root 'foedus'.

Initially the components signified being 'against a league' (literally 'against the treaty/league'); over time the assembled term has come to mean more broadly 'opposed to confederation or alliances' in political contexts.