'outcome-based' originates in modern English as a compound of the noun 'outcome' and the adjectival formation '-based' (from 'base'). 'Outcome' itself comes from the combination of 'out' + 'come'. 'Base' (via '-based') ultimately traces to Latin/Greek 'basis' meaning 'foundation'.

'outcome' developed in Middle English from a compound sense of 'out' + 'come'; the productive suffix '-based' (as in 'evidence-based' or 'results-based') became common in the 20th century, and 'outcome-based' arose as a modern compound modeled on those constructions.

Originally a literal reading would be 'having a base in an outcome'; over time it has come to mean 'focused on, organized around, or evaluated by outcomes/results' and is widely used in education, healthcare, policy, and management contexts.