'anti-growth' originates from Greek and Old English, specifically the prefix 'anti' from Greek 'anti' and the noun element 'growth' from Old English 'growan', where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'growan' meant 'to grow'.

'anti-' entered English via Latin and Old French from Greek 'anti', while 'growth' developed from Old English 'growan' into Middle English 'growth'; these elements combined in modern English to form the compound 'anti-growth'.

Initially it literally meant 'against growth' (the straightforward combination of its parts); over time its usage has narrowed to refer particularly to opposition to economic, population, or developmental expansion.