'nonritualist' is formed in English by combining the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') with 'ritualist' (from 'ritual' + English agent suffix '-ist').

'ritual' comes from Latin 'ritus' meaning 'rite'; through Late Latin and Old French it became English 'ritual'; the agentive '-ist' was added in English to form 'ritualist'; the productive English prefix 'non-' was later attached to form 'non-ritualist', giving the modern form 'nonritualist'.

Originally related to 'rite' (formal religious acts), 'ritualist' meant one who observes rituals; 'nonritualist' came to mean 'one who does not observe or emphasize such rituals.'