anti-terror

The word is a modern compound formed in English. The prefix "anti-", of Greek origin, was adopted into Latin and later English to denote opposition. It is combined with "terror", a Latin noun meaning "great fear" or "dread", which entered English via Old French. The term "terror" itself evolved from the Latin verb terrēre (to frighten). Thus, "anti-terror" literally constructs the concept of being "against terror," specifically applied in the late 20th century to describe measures, policies, or actions designed to counter the politically motivated violence of terrorism.

Structure: anti (against) + terror (terror) - anti: From Greek via Latin, meaning "against" or "opposite of". It functions as a prefix. - terror: From Latin terror (great fear, dread), via Old French terreur. It functions as the root noun.