'antileukemic' is formed in modern English by combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') with 'leukemic' (from 'leukemia').

'leukemia' comes from Greek 'leukēmia' (from 'leukos' meaning 'white' + 'haima' meaning 'blood'), passed into New Latin as 'leukaemia/leukemia' in medical usage, then into English as 'leukemia' and the adjective 'leukemic'; the compound 'antileukemic' developed by adding the prefix 'anti-'.

Initially the roots referred to 'white (blood)' (describing the pale appearance of blood in the disorder); over time the formed term 'antileukemic' came to mean 'against or used to treat leukemia'.