'non-human' originates from combining the prefix 'non-' and the adjective 'human'; the prefix 'non-' comes from Latin 'non' meaning 'not', while 'human' comes from Latin 'humanus' (from 'homo') meaning 'human'.

'non-' entered English via Old French and Middle English as a negative prefix; compounds like 'non-human' (hyphenated) appeared in modern English, and the unhyphenated form 'nonhuman' is also used in contemporary usage.

Initially the compound simply meant 'not human'; over time the usage has remained essentially the same but the scope has broadened to include animals, machines (e.g., AI), extraterrestrials, and other nonhuman agents.