'antiprism' originates from Greek, specifically the prefix 'anti-' and the word 'prisma' (πρίσμα), where 'anti-' meant 'against, opposite' and 'prisma' meant 'something sawed' (a prism).

'antiprism' was formed in English by combining the Greek-derived prefix 'anti-' with the existing geometric term 'prism' (which came into English via Latin and Old French from Greek 'prisma'), and it was adopted as a specific geometric term in the modern period (notably used in 19th–20th century geometric literature).

Initially the components suggested an 'opposite' or 'counter' prism; over time the term came to denote the specific polyhedron in which the two polygonal bases are rotated relative to each other and joined by an alternating band of triangles.