'anthropophagite' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'anthropophagos', where 'anthropos' meant 'human' and 'phagein' meant 'to eat'.

'anthropophagos' changed into Late Latin 'anthropophagita' and then appeared in Middle English as 'anthropophagite', eventually becoming the modern English word 'anthropophagite'.

Initially, it meant 'a human-eater' (a person who eats humans); over time the meaning has largely remained the same, though the term became rare and archaic in general usage.