'anthophilously' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'anthos' and 'philos', where 'anthos' meant 'flower' and 'philos' meant 'loving'.

'anthophilously' changed from the Greek combining form 'antho-' (from 'anthos') and the Greek-derived element '-philous' (from 'philos') to form the adjective 'anthophilous' in New/Modern Latin/English usage, and the adverb was formed by adding the English adverbial suffix '-ly' to create 'anthophilously'.

Initially it meant 'flower-loving' (describing an affinity for flowers); over time it has been used specifically to describe behavior 'in the manner of visiting or being attracted to flowers' (especially of insects or pollinators).