'counter-communist' originates from modern English, formed by combining the combining form 'counter-' and the noun 'communist'; 'counter-' ultimately comes from Latin 'contra' (via Old French 'contre') meaning 'against', and 'communist' comes from French 'communiste' (from Latin 'communis').

'counter-' entered English via Old French 'contre' (from Latin 'contra'), while 'communist' comes from French 'communiste' (from 'commun' and Latin 'communis'); the compound 'counter-communist' developed in English in the 19th–20th century as political language around opposition to communist movements.

Initially the components meant 'against' (counter-) and 'belonging to the community/common' (commun- → 'communist' referring to supporters of communism); together they have long meant 'opposed to communism'—usage shifted from formal political description to common adjectival and noun use for opponents of communism.