'anthropopathism' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'ánthrōpos' and 'pathos', where 'ánthrōpos' meant 'human' and 'pathos' meant 'suffering, feeling'.

'anthropopathism' formed in English from Greek roots plus the noun-forming suffix '-ism' (via scholarly or theological Latin/modern usage) and entered theological and literary vocabulary to describe ascriptions of feeling to non-human agents.

Initially the Greek elements referred simply to 'human' and 'feeling' (or 'suffering'); over time the compound came to denote specifically the practice or doctrine of ascribing human emotions to gods or non-human entities.