'antilaborist' originates from Modern English, specifically formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') and the noun 'laborist' (from English 'labor' + suffix '-ist'; 'labor' ultimately from Latin 'labor' meaning 'work').

'antilaborist' developed from earlier hyphenated or compound forms such as 'anti-laborist' and the British spelling 'anti-Labourist'/'antilabourist'; 'labor' entered English from Latin via Old French and Middle English as 'labour', and the agentive suffix '-ist' was added in English to form 'laborist', then combined with 'anti-'.

Initially it literally meant 'against labor' (i.e., opposed to work-related organizations or the idea of labor influence); over time the term has remained focused on political opposition to labor movements, unions, or labor parties and is used chiefly in political contexts.