'antinaturalistic' originates from English, formed by the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') combined with 'naturalistic' (itself from 'naturalism' + suffix '-istic'), where 'nature' ultimately comes from Latin 'natura' meaning 'birth, natural state'.

'naturalistic' developed from 'naturalism' (French 'naturalisme' < Late Latin/Latin roots from 'natura'), and 'antinaturalistic' arose in modern English by prefixing 'anti-' to 'naturalistic' to denote opposition; the formation is characteristic of 19th–20th century philosophical and critical usage.

Initially the components referred simply to 'against' + 'relating to naturalism'; over time the compound has come to be used specifically to label positions, arguments, or representations that resist naturalistic accounts—especially in philosophy, theology, and literary criticism.