'Mars-centric' originates from modern English, combining the proper noun 'Mars' (the Roman god and the planet) and the combining form '-centric', ultimately from Greek 'kentrikos' via Latin and French, where the root meant 'center'.

'-centric' derives from Greek 'kentron' meaning 'center', passed into Late Latin and Old French as forms that produced the English combining suffix '-centric'; in modern English it combines with names like 'Mars' to form compounds such as 'Mars-centric'.

Initially, the element '-centric' meant 'pertaining to a center'; over time, compounds like 'Mars-centric' have come to mean 'focused on or prioritizing Mars', especially in contexts of space exploration and discourse.