'anthropophagy' originates from Greek 'anthrōpophagía' (through Latin 'anthropophagia'), where 'ánthrōpos' meant 'human' and 'phageîn' meant 'to eat'.

'anthrōpophagía' was adopted into Late Latin as 'anthropophagia', then entered English as 'anthropophagy' (recorded from the 17th century onward).

Initially it referred specifically to the literal practice of eating human flesh; over time the core meaning has remained but it is occasionally used metaphorically (e.g., cultural or intellectual 'consumption').