'noninteractive' originates from English, specifically the prefix 'non-' plus the adjective 'interactive'; 'non-' ultimately comes from Latin 'non' meaning 'not', and 'interactive' ultimately derives from Latin elements 'inter-' (meaning 'between') and 'agere'/'act-' (meaning 'to do, to act') via Late Latin and modern formation with the suffix '-ive'.

'interactive' developed from the verb 'interact' (formed from Latin 'inter-' + 'agere' via Late Latin/modern coinage) and the adjective-forming suffix '-ive'; the compound 'noninteractive' is a more recent English formation (especially used from the 20th century onward in computing and technical contexts) created by prefixing 'non-' to 'interactive'.

Originally related words expressed 'acting between' or 'mutual action'; over time 'interactive' came to mean 'involving reciprocal action (often between user and system)', and 'noninteractive' evolved to mean 'not involving such interaction', particularly for systems or media that do not accept or respond to user input.