'antipsychotic' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek anti-, meaning 'against') with 'psychotic', which derives from Greek 'psyche' meaning 'mind, soul' plus the medical suffixes '-osis'/'-otic'.

'psychotic' entered English via New/Modern Latin from Greek 'psykhōsis' (ψύχωσις) meaning 'a condition of the mind'; the compound 'antipsychotic' was coined in the mid-20th century in medical contexts to name drugs that act against psychosis.

Initially a literal formation meaning 'against psychosis'; over time it has come to specifically denote drugs used to treat psychotic disorders and, adjectivally, properties related to such drugs.