'human-targeted' originates from Modern English, a compound of the noun 'human' and the past-participle form 'targeted' (from the verb 'target'). 'human' ultimately comes from Latin 'humanus' via Old French, where 'humanus' meant 'of man, humane'. 'target' comes from Old French 'targete' (a small shield or mark) and then the verb sense 'to aim at', with the English past-participle suffix '-ed' creating 'targeted'.

'target' changed from Old French 'targete' (a small shield or mark) into Middle English 'target', then developed the verbal sense 'to aim at'; adding the past-participle suffix produced 'targeted', and in Modern English it combined with 'human' to form the compound adjective 'human-targeted'.

Initially, the component words meant 'of or relating to humans' ('human') and 'a mark or aim' ('target'); over time the compound came to mean specifically 'aimed at or designed to affect humans'.