'antigravitate' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') with the verb 'gravitate' (from Latin 'gravis' meaning 'heavy' and 'gravitas' meaning 'weight' or 'gravity').

'antigravitate' was coined by attaching the productive prefix 'anti-' to the existing English verb 'gravitate' (itself derived from Latin 'gravitas'/'gravis' via Late Latin/Middle English 'gravitate'), producing a term used mainly in technical or speculative contexts.

Initially coined to mean 'to oppose or cancel out gravity' (often in science fiction or speculative technical usage), the term's meaning has remained largely consistent and is used to describe causing or undergoing motion against gravitational pull.