'carelessly-directed' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the adverb 'carelessly' (from 'care' + suffix '-lessly') and the past-participial adjective 'directed' (from 'direct').

'careless' comes from Old English 'caru'/'cearu' (care) with the suffix '-less' added in Middle English; 'direct' comes via Old French and Latin 'directus' from Latin 'dirigere' meaning 'to set straight/aim'; the compound adjective 'carelessly-directed' is a modern English formation combining these elements to describe something 'directed without care'.

Initially, the components referred separately to 'lack of care' ('careless') and 'having been guided or controlled' ('directed'); over time the compound has come to specifically mean 'guided or managed in a careless way' and is used to describe actions, efforts, or operations lacking proper attention.