'exit-oriented' originates from English as a compound of 'exit' and 'oriented'. 'exit' ultimately comes from Latin 'exitus', where 'ex-' meant 'out' and 'ire' (in 'exire') meant 'to go'. 'oriented' comes from Latin 'orientare' via Old French 'orienter', where the root 'orient-' related to 'rising' (the east).

'exit' descended from Latin 'exitus' ('a going out'), passed into Middle English through ecclesiastical and legal Latin usage and became the modern English noun 'exit'. 'oriented' developed from Latin 'orientare' to Old French 'orienter' and Middle English adaptations, eventually forming the participial adjective 'oriented'. The compound 'exit-oriented' is a modern English formation combining these elements.

Initially, 'exit' primarily meant 'a going out' and 'orient' related to 'facing the east'; over time 'oriented' came to mean 'directed toward' and 'exit-oriented' has come to mean 'directed toward an exit' or, in business contexts, 'aiming for an exit (sale/IPO)'.