'antineuritic' originates from New Latin/Modern formation combining the Greek-derived prefix 'anti-' (against) and the adjective 'neuritic' (from Greek 'neûron' meaning 'nerve').

'antineuritic' was formed in modern medical English from New Latin/Neo-Latin formations such as 'antineuriticus' (ant(i)- + neuriticus), ultimately tracing 'neuriticus' to Greek 'neûron' ('nerve') and Late Latin medical usage; it entered English usage as a technical medical term in the 19th–20th centuries.

Initially, the formation meant 'acting against neuritis' in a strictly medical sense; over time it has remained specialized, used both as an adjective for treatments and as a noun for agents that prevent or relieve neuritis.