'non-humanoid' originates from the negative prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') combined with 'humanoid' (from 'human' + the suffix '-oid' from Greek 'oeidēs', meaning 'resembling' or 'form').

'humanoid' developed in English by combining 'human' (from Latin 'humanus' → Old French/Latin influences → Middle English 'human') with the Greek-derived suffix '-oid' ('oeidēs') meaning 'like' or 'form'. The compound 'non-humanoid' is a modern formation applying the prefix 'non-' to 'humanoid', becoming common in 20th-century scientific and science-fiction contexts.

Initially the elements meant 'not' + 'human-like in form'; over time the compound has retained that core meaning and is used to denote beings, objects, or forms that lack human shape or humanlike characteristics.