'antiendowment' is formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti', meaning 'against') combined with 'endowment' (from Old French 'endouer', ultimately from Latin 'donare', meaning 'to give').

'endowment' developed from Middle English 'endowen' (from Old French 'endouer', itself from Latin 'donare') and became modern English 'endowment'. The productive prefix 'anti-' (from Greek via Latin) has long been used in English to create oppositional compounds, yielding 'anti-' + 'endowment' → 'antiendowment'.

Initially the components literally signified 'against giving' or 'against a gift'; in modern use the compound has come to mean opposition specifically to institutional or formal endowments (e.g., endowed chairs, foundation funds) rather than a general opposition to giving.