'justly-awarded' is a compound word formed from 'justly' and 'awarded'. 'Justly' originates from the Latin word 'justus', meaning 'fair' or 'righteous', and 'awarded' comes from the Old French 'eswarder', meaning 'to judge'.

The term 'justly-awarded' evolved from the combination of 'justly', which has been used in English since the 14th century, and 'awarded', which has been in use since the 15th century.

Initially, 'justly' meant 'in accordance with justice', and 'awarded' meant 'to assign or grant'. The combined term 'justly-awarded' has maintained its meaning of being fairly given.