'anti-anthropocentric' is a compound formed from the prefix 'anti-' and the adjective 'anthropocentric'. 'anti-' originates from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against', and 'anthropocentric' originates from Greek 'anthropos' ('human') + Late Latin/Greek combining form influenced by 'centro-'/'-centric' from Greek 'kentron' meaning 'center'.

'anthropocentric' entered English via modern coinage combining Greek roots 'anthropos' and '-centric' (center) in discussions of philosophy and ethics; the compound 'anti-anthropocentric' arose more recently in academic and environmental discourse by prefixing 'anti-' (from Greek via Latin/Old French) to oppose that stance.

Initially, components meant 'against' (for 'anti-') and 'human-centered' (for 'anthropocentric'); together they have come to mean 'opposed to human-centered perspectives', particularly in ecology, ethics, and philosophy.