'nonprevenient' originates from English formation using the prefix 'non-' and the adjective 'prevenient', ultimately traceable to Latin 'praeveniens', where the prefix 'non-' meant 'not' and the Latin root 'prae-' meant 'before' while 'venire' meant 'to come'.

'nonprevenient' developed by prefixing English 'prevenient' with 'non-'. 'Prevenient' itself comes from Medieval/Church Latin 'praeveniens' (present participle of 'praevenire'), which entered Middle English as 'prevenient' and later formed compounds such as 'nonprevenient' in theological usage.

Initially, the Latin root conveyed the idea 'coming before'. Over time, with the addition of the negative prefix 'non-', the compound came to mean 'not coming before' or 'not preceding', especially applied in theological discussions about the timing of grace.