'anticonservative' originates from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'antí', meaning 'against') combined with 'conservative' (from French/Latin roots related to 'preserve').

'conservative' comes from Latin 'conservare' ('con-' meaning 'together/with' + 'servare' meaning 'to keep, preserve'), passed into French as 'conserver'/'conservatif' and into English as 'conservative'; 'anti-' was later prefixed in English to form 'anti-conservative' or 'anticonservative'.

Initially, roots referred to 'preserving' or 'keeping' (conservare); over time 'conservative' came to denote a political and cultural stance favoring tradition and the status quo, and 'anticonservative' developed to mean 'against that stance' or 'favoring change.'