'nonstandardly-employed' is a modern compound formed from 'nonstandardly' + 'employed'. The prefix 'non-' originates from Latin 'non' meaning 'not'; 'standard' comes via Old French 'estandard' (originally a banner or sign) and later took on the sense of a norm or rule; 'employ' originates from Old French 'employer' meaning 'to use'.

'nonstandardly' developed from the adjective 'nonstandard' (non- + standard) plus the adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Employed' is the past participle of 'employ', which passed into Middle English from Old French 'employer' (Middle English 'emploien') and became modern English 'employ' and its forms. The compound combines the modern adverbial form with the past participle to produce 'nonstandardly-employed'.

Initially the components meant 'not standard' + 'used' (literally 'not standardly used'); over time the compound has been used in the literal sense to describe something applied in a nonstandard way and retains that direct meaning.