'non-electrolyte' is a compound formed from the Latin prefix 'non' meaning 'not' and the word 'electrolyte'. 'Electrolyte' itself comes from a modern scientific formation combining 'electro-' from Greek 'ēlektron' meaning 'amber' (associated with electric phenomena) and the element '-lyte' from Greek roots related to 'lysis'/'lyein' meaning 'to loosen' or 'to dissolve'.

'electrolyte' arose in 19th-century scientific English by combining 'electro-' and '-lyte' (in relation to electrolysis and substances that dissociate under electricity). English speakers later attached the prefix 'non-' to form 'non-electrolyte', literally meaning 'not an electrolyte'.

From its formation to the present, 'non-electrolyte' has meant a substance that does not form ions in solution; this technical meaning has remained stable in chemistry.