'non-racist' originates from English, formed by the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') plus 'racist', where 'racist' comes from 'race' (from French 'race', ultimately from Italian 'razza') with the agent suffix '-ist'.

'racist' developed from the noun 'race' + suffix '-ist'; 'race' entered English via French 'race' (16th century) from Italian 'razza'. The compound negation 'non-racist' appears in English in the mid-20th century (often written 'nonracist' or 'non-racist') and stabilized in modern use as 'non-racist'.

Initially a straightforward negation meaning 'not racist', the term has retained that basic sense but in modern discourse it is often contrasted with 'anti-racist' (which implies active opposition to racism); 'non-racist' can sometimes be interpreted as a passive or neutral stance.