'antischolastically' originates from English formation combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'antí-', meaning 'against') and 'scholastic' (from Late Latin 'scholasticus'), with the adverbial suffix '-ally'.

'scholastic' comes from Late Latin 'scholasticus', from Greek 'scholastikos' (from 'scholē' meaning 'school' or 'leisure'); it entered Middle English as 'scholastic' via Old French. The negating prefix 'anti-' comes from Greek 'antí-'. The compound 'antischolastic' and its adverbial form developed in modern English usage to denote opposition to scholasticism.

Initially related to 'of the school' or 'pertaining to learned schools' (scholastic), the term came to be associated specifically with the medieval philosophical/theological tradition (scholasticism). With the addition of 'anti-', the sense shifted to 'opposed to scholasticism,' and the adverb now means 'in a way that opposes scholastic methods or attitudes.'