'publicly-supported' originates from the combination of 'publicly' and 'supported', where 'publicly' is derived from 'public', meaning 'of the people', and 'supported' from 'support', meaning 'to hold up or provide for'.

'publicly-supported' evolved from the concept of public funding and support, which has been a part of societal structures for centuries, adapting to modern usage to describe institutions or entities maintained by public funds.

Initially, it referred to any form of support provided by the public or government, and this meaning has remained consistent in modern usage.