'antidiabetic' originates from Modern English, formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') and 'diabetic', which is from Greek 'diabetes' + the adjectival suffix '-ic'.

'diabetes' comes from Greek 'diabainō/diabetes' meaning 'a passing through' (from 'diabainein' 'to pass through'); it passed into Latin and then into English. 'Diabetic' was formed by adding '-ic' to 'diabetes' in modern usage, and 'antidiabetic' is the later compound combining 'anti-' with 'diabetic'.

Initially, the Greek root referred to 'a passing through' (linked to excessive urination); over time 'diabetes' became the name of the disease characterized by high blood sugar, and 'antidiabetic' evolved to mean 'against or treating diabetes'.