'antigravitational' originates from Modern English, specifically formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek) meaning 'against' and 'gravitational' from 'gravitation' (from Latin 'gravitas'), where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'gravis' meant 'heavy'.

'antigravitational' was formed by attaching the productive Modern English prefix 'anti-' to 'gravitational' (from 'gravitation', itself from Latin 'gravitas' < 'gravis' meaning 'heavy'); 'gravitational' developed via scientific Latin and Middle English usage of 'gravitation' and then gained the adjectival suffix '-al', with 'anti-' later added to denote opposition.

Initially, roots related to 'gravis' referred to 'weight' or 'heaviness'; over time the compound 'antigravitational' evolved to mean 'against or counteracting gravity' and to describe technologies or effects that would negate or reduce gravitational influence.