'antigeotropic' originates from Greek (via New Latin), specifically from the elements 'anti-' and 'geotrop-' where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'gē' (geo-) meant 'earth' while 'tropos' meant 'turn'.

'antigeotropic' was formed in scientific New Latin/English by adding the Greek prefix 'anti-' to 'geotropic' (from Greek roots 'gē' + 'tropos'), producing the adjective used in botanical and physiological descriptions.

Initially built to denote 'opposed to turning toward the earth', it has retained that technical sense and is now used to mean 'exhibiting negative geotropism; growing away from the earth'.