'chemical-based' originates from English by combining 'chemical' and 'based'. 'chemical' ultimately comes from Arabic 'al-kīmiyāʾ' (via Medieval Latin/Greek 'khēmeía'), where the root related to alchemy/chemistry; 'base' comes from Old French 'bas' and Greek/Latin 'basis' meaning 'foundation'.

'chemical' entered English via Medieval Latin 'chemicalis' and Arabic 'al-kīmiyāʾ' (from Greek 'khēmeía'), while 'base(d)' derives from Old French 'bas' / Latin/Greek 'basis'; the compound 'chemical-based' arose in modern English by combining these elements to mean 'having a foundation in chemicals'.

Initially, 'chemical' was associated with alchemy/early chemistry and 'basis' with a foundation; over time 'chemical' narrowed to mean substances or processes of modern chemistry, and 'based' came to mean 'founded on', so 'chemical-based' now means 'founded on chemicals or chemical processes'.