'human-centeredness' originates from modern English, formed by combining 'human' + 'centered' + the suffix '-ness'. 'human' traces back to Latin 'humanus' meaning 'of or belonging to man', 'centered' comes from 'center' (from Latin 'centrum' via Greek 'kentron') meaning 'middle or focal point', and the suffix '-ness' (Old English '-nes(s)e') forms nouns indicating a state or quality.

'human' derives from Latin 'humanus' and entered English via Old French/Latin influences; 'center' derives from Greek 'kentron' > Latin 'centrum' > Old French 'centre' > Middle English 'centre' (modern 'center/centre'). The compound 'human-centered' is a modern English formation (20th century) combining these elements, with '-ness' added to make 'human-centeredness.'

The elements originally meant 'of humans' ('human') and 'middle/focal point' ('center'); over time, the compound evolved to mean not a physical center but the orientation or priority given to humans — i.e., the state of prioritizing human needs and perspectives.