'non-nihilistic' originates from English, formed by the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') attached to 'nihilistic,' which ultimately comes from Latin 'nihil' meaning 'nothing'.

'nihilistic' developed from the noun 'nihilism' (a 19th-century coinage in European languages ultimately based on Latin 'nihil'), with forms such as French 'nihilisme' and German 'Nihilismus' influencing English 'nihilism' and then the adjective 'nihilistic'; the negative prefix 'non-' was later prefixed to form 'non-nihilistic'.

Initially 'nihil' meant 'nothing'; over time 'nihilism' came to denote a philosophical rejection of meaning or values, while 'non-nihilistic' came to mean the opposite—holding or affirming meaning, values, or purpose.