'people-focused' is a modern English compound combining 'people' and the past‑participle adjective 'focused'. 'People' ultimately comes from Latin 'populus' via Old French, meaning 'the people'; 'focus' comes from Latin 'focus' (originally 'hearth' or 'fireplace') and entered English via Neo‑Latin, later giving the verb 'to focus' and adjective 'focused'.

'people' changed from Latin 'populus' into Old French forms and then Middle English 'people'; 'focus' (Latin 'focus') was adopted into English in the 17th century in the sense of a point of concentration, later forming the verb 'to focus' and adjective 'focused'. The compound 'people-focused' arose in modern English usage (20th–21st century) as business, design, and HR language developed.

Individually, 'people' originally meant 'the populace' and 'focus' originally meant 'hearth' then 'center of attention'; together the compound initially meant 'having attention concentrated on people' and has come to commonly mean prioritizing human needs in design, services, or organizational practice.