'Antipatharia' originates from New Latin, taken from the genus name 'Antipathes' which itself goes back to Greek elements 'antí-' (against) and 'pathos' (suffering, feeling).

'Antipathes' was used in classical and later scientific Latin as a name for a genus of corals; the form 'Antipatharia' was created in New Latin to name the order and then adopted into modern zoological usage as 'antipatharia'.

The Greek root elements originally conveyed the idea 'against suffering/feeling', but in scientific nomenclature they came to denote the group of organisms known as black corals; thus the modern meaning is taxonomic rather than literal.