'antimonate' originates from English 'antimony' + the chemical suffix '-ate', where 'antimony' comes via Medieval Latin 'antimonium' and Old French 'antimoine' (ultimately influenced by Arabic forms) and '-ate' is used in chemistry to form names of salts and oxyanions.

'antimonate' is formed from the modern English noun 'antimony' (from Medieval Latin 'antimonium' and Old French 'antimoine') combined with the adjectival/ionic suffix '-ate' used in chemical nomenclature; the compound name developed as inorganic chemistry standardized names for salts and oxyanions.

Initially related simply to 'antimony' as the element or its compounds, the term evolved in chemical usage to mean specifically a salt or oxyanion of antimonic acid (i.e., an antimony-containing oxyanion or its salts).