'debt-relief' originates from the combination of 'debt' and 'relief', where 'debt' comes from the Old French 'dette', and 'relief' comes from the Old French 'relever', meaning 'to raise up'.

'debt' changed from the Old French word 'dette' and eventually became the modern English word 'debt'. 'Relief' transformed from the Old French 'relever' to the modern English 'relief'.

Initially, 'debt-relief' meant the alleviation of financial burdens, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.