'antistreptococcal' originates from a combination of elements: the Greek-derived prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') and the New Latin/Modern scientific name 'Streptococcus' (from Greek 'streptos' meaning 'twisted' + 'kokkos' meaning 'berry'), with the English adjectival suffix '-al'.

'Streptococcus' entered scientific Latin from Greek roots and gave rise to the adjective 'streptococcal' in Modern English; 'antistreptococcal' is a later English formation applying the prefix 'anti-' to that adjective, formed in the context of 19th–20th century medical terminology.

Initially the components literally meant 'against (twisted) berries' in a morphological sense referring to the bacteria; over time the assembled term has been used specifically to mean 'against streptococcal bacteria' in medical contexts.