'nutrient-depleting' originates from Modern English, specifically the combination of the noun 'nutrient' and the present-participle form 'depleting' of the verb 'deplete'. 'Nutrient' derives from Latin 'nutrire' meaning 'to nourish'; 'deplete' derives from Latin 'deplēre' (de- + plēre) where 'de-' meant 'off, away' and 'plēre' meant 'to fill', giving a sense of 'emptying' when combined.

'nutrient' developed via Medieval/Neo-Latin forms (e.g. Latin 'nutrientem') into the English noun 'nutrient' in the 18–19th centuries; 'deplete' came into English via Latin 'deplēre' (and Old French influences) as 'deplete' in later Middle/Modern English. The compound 'nutrient-depleting' is a Modern English formation combining a noun and a present participle to describe an attributive property.

Initially the components meant 'to nourish' (nutrient) and 'to empty/remove' (deplete). The compounded modern expression came to mean 'causing nutrients to be removed or exhausted' (i.e., 'uses up nutrients').