"contrary to the direction of rotation of the hands of a clock," 1870, also counter-clockwise; from counter- + clockwise. British English anti-clockwise is attested from 1879.
Entries linking to counterclockwise
counter-
word-forming element used in English from c. 1300 and meaning "against, in opposition; in return; corresponding," from Anglo-French countre-, French contre-, from Latin contra "opposite, contrary to, against, in return," also used as a prefix (see contra (prep., adv.)). A doublet of contra-. In some cases it probably represents a purely English use of counter (adv.).
clockwise adv.
also clock-wise, "in the direction of the rotation of the hands of a clock," 1879, from clock (n.1) + wise (n.).