'non-figuratively' originates from the English combination of the negative prefix 'non-' and the adverb 'figuratively'. 'non-' ultimately comes from Latin 'non' meaning 'not', and 'figuratively' derives from Latin 'figurativus' (from 'figura') where 'figura' meant 'form' or 'figure'.

'figuratively' changed from Latin 'figurativus' to Late Latin and Old French forms and entered Middle English as 'figurative'/'figuratively'; the modern compound 'non-figuratively' is formed in English by adding the prefix 'non-' to that adverb.

Initially related to 'form' or 'shape' (from Latin 'figura'), 'figurative' came to mean 'expressing meaning by figures of speech' (i.e. not literal); 'non-figuratively' therefore evolved to mean 'not figuratively', i.e. 'in a literal sense'.