'antitheologize' originates from Modern English, formed by the prefix 'anti-' (meaning 'against') + 'theologize' (verb derived from 'theology' + suffix '-ize').

'theologize' comes from 'theology' (from Latin 'theologia'), which in turn is from Greek 'theologia' (θεολογία) composed of 'theos' meaning 'god' and 'logia' meaning 'study' or 'discourse'. The verb-forming suffix '-ize' was borrowed into English via French and Latin from Greek '-izein'. The negative prefix 'anti-' is from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against'; combining these produced 'antitheologize' in modern English and then its gerund 'antitheologizing'.

Initially 'theology' meant 'the study or discourse about God' in Greek; over time 'theologize' came to mean 'to discuss or treat subjects in theological terms', and 'antitheologize' developed to mean 'to oppose or remove theological framing' — the gerund denotes the action or process of doing so.