'counterproductivity' originates from combined elements: the prefix 'counter-' (from Old French 'contre', ultimately Latin 'contra') meaning 'against', the adjective 'productive' (from Latin 'productivus', from 'producere' meaning 'to lead forward' where 'pro-' meant 'forward' and 'ducere' meant 'to lead'), and the noun-forming suffix '-ity' (from Latin '-itas').

'counter-' entered English via Old French 'contre' (from Latin 'contra') and was attached to the adjective 'productive' (from Latin roots 'pro-' + 'ducere'); adding the suffix '-ity' (from Latin '-itas') formed the noun 'counterproductivity' in Modern English.

Initially the elements meant 'against' + 'able to produce' + the abstract noun-forming '-ity'; over time they combined to form the modern sense: 'the quality or instance of producing effects that run against the intended outcome.'