'non-utilitarianism' originates from English, specifically formed from the prefix 'non-' + 'utilitarianism', where 'non-' meant 'not' and 'utilitarianism' derives from 'utilitarian' + suffix '-ism' (with 'utilitarian' relating to 'utility' or usefulness).

'utilitarianism' traces back to 'utility' (from Latin 'utilitas' and 'utilis' meaning 'useful') and became a technical term in 19th-century English philosophical discourse (notably used by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill). The negating prefix 'non-' was later attached in English to denote opposition or absence, producing 'non-utilitarianism'.

Initially, it simply indicated the negation 'not utilitarianism' (i.e., not based on utility). Over time it has been used more broadly to label a variety of ethical approaches that reject utilitarian criteria, but the core sense—opposition to or absence of utilitarian principles—remains consistent.