'antiovulatory' originates from the Greek prefix 'anti-' (meaning 'against') combined with Latin 'ovum' (meaning 'egg') and the English adjectival suffix '-ory' (meaning 'relating to'); the element 'ovulat-' derives from Late Latin/New Latin 'ovulare' ('to produce or form an egg').

'antiovulatory' was formed in Modern English by combining the prefix 'anti-' with 'ovulatory' (from Latin 'ovulare' -> Late Latin/New Latin forms -> English 'ovulate' -> adjective 'ovulatory'), producing the compound meaning 'against ovulation'.

Initially the components literally meant 'against' + 'egg/ovulation'; over time the combined term came to be used specifically to mean 'preventing or inhibiting ovulation' in medical contexts.