'antispiritualist' originates from the Greek prefix 'anti-' (against) combined with the English noun 'spiritualist' (a person who believes in or practices spiritualism).

'spiritualist' comes from 'spiritualism' (a 19th-century movement), which itself is formed from 'spiritual' (from Latin 'spiritualis', relating to 'spirit' from Latin 'spiritus'). The compound 'anti-' + 'spiritualist' produced the modern English word 'antispiritualist' to denote opposition to that movement or its ideas.

Initially it referred specifically to opposition to the organized 19th-century movement of 'spiritualism'; over time it can also be used more broadly for opposition to spiritual or nonmaterial claims or practices.