'microbial-based' originates from English, specifically a compound of 'microbial' and 'based'. 'Microbial' derives from 'microbe' (from Greek elements 'micro-' meaning 'small' and 'bios' meaning 'life') and the adjectival suffix '-al'; 'based' comes from 'base' (from Old French/Latin 'basis').

'microbe' was formed from Greek roots 'mikros' ('small') + 'bios' ('life') and entered scientific English in the 19th century; 'microbial' was formed by adding the English adjectival suffix '-al' to 'microbe'. 'Base' comes via Old French from Latin/Greek 'basis' meaning 'pedestal' or 'foundation', and 'based' developed as the past/adjectival form. These elements combined in modern English to form the compound 'microbial-based'.

Initially, components referred to 'small life' ('microbe') and 'foundation' ('base'); the compound originally signified something having microbes as its foundation, and it has come to mean 'derived from or relying on microbes' in contemporary usage.