'antipleuritic' originates from Neo-Latin/medical formation, specifically from Greek elements 'anti-' and 'pleura', where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'pleura' meant 'side' or 'rib'.

'antipleuritic' was formed in medical English by prefixing 'anti-' to the adjective 'pleuritic' (from Greek 'pleuritis'/'pleura') in modern medical coinage; the hyphenated form 'anti-pleuritic' is attested before consolidation into 'antipleuritic'.

Initially it meant 'acting against pleurisy' (i.e., preventing or relieving pleural inflammation); this sense has been largely retained in medical usage.