'ecosystem-centered' originates from Modern English, specifically the elements 'ecosystem' and 'centered', where 'ecosystem' is built from the prefix 'eco-' (from Greek 'oikos' meaning 'house' or 'environment') plus 'system' (from Greek 'sustēma' meaning 'organized whole'), and 'centered' derives from 'center' (from Greek 'kentron' via Latin and Old French) meaning 'focal point'.

'ecosystem' was coined in English in 1935 by Arthur Tansley to describe a community and its environment; 'centered' comes from Middle English 'centre' (from Old French 'centre', from Latin 'centrum', from Greek 'kentron'). The compound 'ecosystem-centered' emerged in late 20th-century environmental and planning discourse to express prioritizing ecosystems.

Initially, 'ecosystem' meant 'a community of organisms and their physical environment' and 'centered' meant 'placed at the center'; combined, the term evolved to mean 'placing ecosystems at the center of consideration, policy, or design'.