'anticontagious' originates from Modern English as a compound of the Greek-derived prefix 'anti-' and the Latin-derived adjective 'contagious'; specifically 'anti-' from Greek 'anti' where 'anti-' meant 'against', and 'contagious' from Latin 'contagiosus' (from 'contagium' ultimately from Latin 'tangere').

'anticontagious' is a modern English compound formed by combining 'anti-' + 'contagious' rather than evolving from a single older word; it reflects productive combining of prefixes and adjectives in English rather than a distinct Middle English antecedent.

Initially the components literally conveyed 'against touching/contagion', and in modern usage the compound is used to mean 'opposing or preventing the spread of disease'.