'antitragal' originates from New Latin, specifically from the anatomical formation 'antitragus', where the prefix 'anti-' meant 'opposite' and 'tragus' (from Greek 'tragos') referred to the small projection of the outer ear.

'antitragal' developed by adding the adjectival suffix '-al' to New Latin 'antitragus' (itself from Greek 'anti-' + 'tragos'), passing into Modern English as the adjective meaning 'pertaining to the antitragus'.

Initially it denoted the noun 'antitragus' (the structure opposite the tragus); over time the form with '-al' came to be used as an adjective meaning 'relating to the antitragus'.