'antiperistaltic' originates from Greek elements via New Latin, specifically the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-') and 'peristaltic' (from Greek 'peristaltikos'), where 'anti-' meant 'against', 'peri-' meant 'around' and the root related to 'stallein' meant 'to send' or 'to cause to contract'.

'antiperistaltic' developed through New Latin/Scientific Latin formations (e.g. 'antiperistalticus') built from 'anti-' + Medieval/Modern Latin 'peristalticus' (from Greek 'peristaltikos'), and was adopted into modern English usage in medical and biological contexts as 'antiperistaltic'.

Initially it designated motion or action 'against the normal around-contractions' (i.e. against peristalsis); over time it has remained a technical term with the same core sense of 'opposite to peristalsis'.