'anticynic' originates from Modern English, specifically built from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' via Latin) meaning 'against' and the noun 'cynic' (from Greek 'kynikos'), where 'kyn-' meant 'dog'.

'cynic' comes from Greek 'kynikos' and passed into English via Latin and Middle English as 'cynik'/'cynic'; the prefix 'anti-' entered English from Greek via Latin; these elements were combined in Modern English to form the neologism 'anticynic'.

Initially formed to mean 'against cynics' or 'opposed to cynicism', it has come to be used to describe both people and attitudes that are actively noncynical or optimistic.