'antinarcotic' originates from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') combined with 'narcotic' (from Greek 'narkōtikos'), where 'narkē' meant 'numbness' or 'stupor'.

'narcotic' comes from Greek 'narkōtikos' passed into Late Latin as 'narcoticus' and into French as 'narcotique', then into English as 'narcotic'; the modern compound 'antinarcotic' formed in English by adding the prefix 'anti-' to 'narcotic' to denote opposition to narcotics.

Originally connected to the idea of 'numbness' (from Greek 'narkē'), the term 'narcotic' came to mean a drug producing stupor or analgesia; 'antinarcotic' later developed to mean 'against narcotics' or 'opposed to narcotic use/traffic'.