'anthropophagize' originates from Greek and English elements: from Greek 'ánthrōpos' and the root 'phag-' (from 'phagein'), and the English verb-forming suffix '-ize', where 'ánthrōpos' meant 'human', 'phag-/phagein' meant 'to eat', and '-ize' meant 'to make or to engage in'.

'anthropophagize' derives from the Greek combining forms that produced Medieval Latin/late Latin 'anthropophagia' and the English noun 'anthropophagy'; later the English verb-forming suffix '-ize' was attached to produce a verb meaning 'to practice anthropophagy', yielding forms such as 'anthropophagize'/'anthropophagize' in specialized/rare usage.

Initially related to the literal notion 'to eat human flesh' in compounds and nouns, and over time the verb form has retained that core meaning: 'to practice cannibalism'.