'antiproductivity' originates from a combination of the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') and the noun 'productivity' (from 'product' + the suffix '-ivity').

'productivity' ultimately derives from Latin roots: 'productus' (past participle of 'producere', where 'pro-' meant 'forward' and 'ducere' meant 'to lead'). The prefix 'anti-' comes from Greek 'anti-'. The modern English compound 'antiproductivity' formed by attaching 'anti-' to 'productivity'.

Initially the elements meant 'against' + 'the state of producing', and over time the compound has come to mean 'the state or quality of being opposed to productive output' or 'the tendency of something to reduce productivity'.