'protein-based' originates from English as a compound of 'protein' and 'based'; 'protein' ultimately comes from French 'protéine', from Greek 'prōteios' (from 'prōtos') meaning 'first, primary', and 'based' relates to 'base', from Greek 'basis' meaning 'foundation'.

'Protein-based' formed in modern English by combining the noun 'protein' with the combining form '-based' (as in 'X-based'), a pattern productive since the mid-20th century, yielding the current adjective 'protein-based'.

Initially used for foods and diets emphasizing protein, its use broadened to materials and biomedical contexts (e.g., protein-based polymers, drugs, and vaccines).