'non-dogmatism' originates from a combination of the prefix 'non-' (from Latin, specifically the word 'non', where 'non' meant 'not') and 'dogmatism' (from Greek, specifically the word 'dogma', where 'dogma' meant 'opinion' or 'that which is accepted as true').

'dogmatism' entered English via Late Latin 'dogmatismus' (from Greek 'dogmatismos'), and the modern English compound 'non-dogmatism' was formed by adding the Latin-derived prefix 'non-' to 'dogmatism' in modern usage.

Initially, 'dogma' meant 'opinion' or 'that which seems right', and 'dogmatism' meant the firm assertion of such principles; over time, 'non-dogmatism' came to denote the absence of rigid certainty — an openness to revising beliefs and considering alternatives.