'antineurotoxin' originates from a modern English compound formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against' or 'opposite') and 'neurotoxin' (itself from Greek 'neuron' meaning 'nerve' + Greek 'toxikon' meaning 'poison').

'neurotoxin' is a scientific coinage combining 'neuro-' + 'toxin' in modern scientific English; 'antineurotoxin' is a later technical formation built by adding the productive prefix 'anti-' to 'neurotoxin' in 20th–21st century literature.

Initially the components meant 'against' (anti-) and 'nerve poison' (neurotoxin); the compound retains the combined meaning of 'a substance acting against a nerve poison' in modern usage.