'antiegoism' originates from Modern English, specifically the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'antí-' meaning 'against') combined with the noun 'egoism' (from Latin 'ego' meaning 'I'), forming a term that literally means 'against egoism'.

'antiegoism' was formed in Modern English by combining the productive prefix 'anti-' with 'egoism' (a philosophical term derived from Latin and Greek roots). The compound follows patterns like 'anti-hero' or 'anti-war' and entered use as discussions of ethics and social attitudes developed in the 19th–20th centuries.

Initially coined to denote simple opposition to the ethical theory of egoism, the term has come to cover both theoretical opposition and practical attitudes/practices that place others' or the community's interests above one's own.