'ecocentrically' originates from Modern English, specifically the adjective 'ecocentric' plus the adverbial suffix '-ly', where the prefix 'eco-' ultimately comes from Greek 'oikos' meaning 'house' or 'dwelling' (used for 'environment'), and 'centric' derives from Greek 'kentron' meaning 'center'.

'ecocentric' was coined in the mid-20th century by combining the productive prefix 'eco-' (from Greek 'oikos') with the adjectival element 'centric' (from Greek 'kentron'); the adverb 'ecocentrically' is the regular adverbial formation from that adjective.

Initially the root 'oikos' meant 'house' or 'household', but in modern compounds like 'eco-' it shifted toward 'environment' or 'ecosystem'; 'ecocentric' and thus 'ecocentrically' came to mean 'centered on ecological wholes' and has retained that ecological focus.