'nonpolarity' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the prefix 'non-' (meaning 'not') with the noun 'polarity' (from 'pole' + '-ity').

'polarity' comes from the noun 'pole' (from Latin 'polus' via Greek 'polos', meaning 'axis' or 'pivot') with the abstract noun-forming suffix '-ity'. The negative prefix 'non-' (from Old English/Latin usage meaning 'not') was attached in Modern English to create 'nonpolarity' as a descriptive term.

Initially the elements meant 'not' + 'having poles/axes'; over time the compound came to be used specifically for the absence of electrical, magnetic, or chemical polarity (i.e., 'being nonpolar').