'anticonformity' originates from modern English formation combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') with the noun 'conformity' (from Latin 'conformitas', where 'con-' meant 'together' and 'formare' meant 'to form').

'conformity' entered English via Old French 'conformité' from Latin 'conformitas'; 'anticonformity' is a relatively recent English coinage formed by adding the prefix 'anti-' to 'conformity'.

Initially, 'conformity' meant 'agreement in form or character'; adding 'anti-' produced 'anticonformity' to indicate opposition to that agreement. The term has retained the sense of 'resistance to or rejection of conformity'.