'antipragmatic' originates from Greek and English components: Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against' and English 'pragmatic' (from Greek/Late Latin roots meaning 'deed, affair').

'antipragmatic' was formed in modern English by combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti') with 'pragmatic' (from Late Latin 'pragmaticus', via Greek 'pragmatikos', from 'pragma' meaning 'deed' or 'thing'), producing 'antipragmatic'; the adverbial form 'antipragmatically' was created by adding the derivational suffix '-ally'.

Initially used simply to indicate opposition to 'pragmatic' approaches or pragmatism in theory or practice; over time it has come to describe behavior, argument, or style that actively disregards practical considerations, often with a slightly pejorative sense.