'antipuritan' originates from Greek and English, specifically the prefix 'anti-' from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against' combined with the English word 'Puritan' (from 'puritan'), where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'Puritan' referred to members or principles of the Puritan movement.

'antipuritan' was formed in English by prefixing 'anti-' to 'Puritan' (the noun 'Puritan' being established in English from the 16th century) and appears in polemical and descriptive uses from the 17th century onward, eventually becoming the modern English adjective and noun 'antipuritan'.

Initially it meant 'against Puritans or Puritan principles'; the core sense has remained, though modern use often generalizes to opposition to puritanical strictness rather than only historical Puritans.