'antivivisection' originates from English, specifically the word 'anti-' + 'vivisection', where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'vivisection' comes from Latin elements 'vivus' meaning 'alive' and 'sectio' meaning 'a cutting'.

'antivivisection' changed from the 19th-century phrase 'anti‑vivisection' used by campaigners and eventually became the modern English word 'antivivisection'. (The element 'vivisection' itself entered English via French 'vivisection' from Latin 'vivus' + 'sectio'.)

Initially, it meant 'opposition to vivisection' and over time has remained largely the same, though it is sometimes used more broadly to refer to opposition to animal experimentation in general.