'anticreationism' originates from modern English, specifically the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') combined with 'creationism' (from 'creation' + suffix '-ism').

'creationism' derives from 'creation' (from Latin 'creatio', from 'creare' meaning 'to make') plus the suffix '-ism' used to denote doctrines or systems; 'anti-' comes from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against' and has been used in English as a productive prefix since modern times, producing the compound 'anticreationism'.

Initially simply a compound meaning 'against creationism', it has consistently been used to denote opposition to creationist doctrines, especially in scientific and educational contexts.