'antitank' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'antí' meaning 'against') with 'tank' (English, referring to the armored fighting vehicle).

'anti-' entered English via Latin/French prefixing and has been used productively to form compounds; 'tank' is a 20th-century English word (originally a code name meaning 'water tank') applied to armored vehicles in World War I. The compound 'anti-tank' arose in wartime usage and later appeared in closed form as 'antitank'.

Initially it literally meant 'against tanks' (i.e., a device or measure opposing tanks); this core meaning has remained stable, referring to weapons or measures intended to counter tanks.