'energy-intensiveness' originates from modern English as a compound of 'energy' and 'intensiveness', where 'energy' ultimately comes from Greek 'energeia' meaning 'activity, operation' and 'intensiveness' derives from the adjective 'intensive' (from Late Latin/French roots) relating to 'intense/strained'.

'energy' entered English via Old French/Latin (Greek 'energeia' → Latin/Old French forms → English 'energy'), and 'intensive' came into English from Late Latin 'intensivus' (via French 'intensif'), with the noun-forming suffix '-ness' producing 'intensiveness'; the modern compound 'energy-intensiveness' developed by combining these elements in contemporary English technical usage.

Initially, 'energy' meant 'activity' or 'operation' (from Greek) and 'intensive' meant 'concentrated or strained effort'; over time, the compound evolved to denote the modern concept of the degree of energy consumption by a process or sector — its current technical sense.