'anthropophagical' originates from Greek elements 'anthropo-' meaning 'human, man' and 'phag-'/'phagein' meaning 'to eat', via Neo-Latin/English formations based on 'anthropophagy' plus the adjectival suffix '-ical'.

'anthropophagical' developed from Greek 'anthrōpophagos' (ἄνθρωποφογός) 'human-eating' → Latin/Medieval Latin 'anthropophagia'/'anthropophagus' → English 'anthropophagy' (noun) → adjective formed as 'anthropophagical' in modern English.

Initially used in Greek/Latin contexts to denote a person who eats humans or the act of eating humans; in modern English it functions as an adjective describing things related to or characteristic of cannibalism.