'antilife' is formed in modern English from the prefix 'anti-' (borrowed into English from Greek via Latin/French, meaning 'against') combined with English 'life' (from Old English 'līf', meaning 'life').

'anti-' entered English as a productive prefix from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against', while 'life' comes from Old English 'līf'; the compound 'antilife' is a modern English formation combining these elements to mean literally 'against life.'

Initially a literal composition meaning 'against life,' it has come to be used particularly in literary, speculative, or technical contexts to denote forces, doctrines, or agents that negate or destroy life.