'race-conscious' originates from Modern English, specifically the compound of 'race' and 'conscious'. 'race' ultimately originates from Italian, specifically the word 'razza', where it meant 'breed, stock'. 'conscious' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'conscius' (via Old French 'conscient'), where 'con-' meant 'with' and 'scius' (from 'scire') meant 'knowing'.

'race' entered English in the late 16th century from French 'race', itself from Italian 'razza'. 'conscious' comes from Latin 'conscius' via Old/Middle French. The compound 'race-conscious' emerged in Modern English (notably in the 20th century) as debates about civil rights and public policy made explicit reference to being 'conscious' of race.

Initially a literal compound meaning 'conscious of race', the term has come to carry both descriptive and policy/legal senses: it describes personal awareness of race and also denotes deliberate consideration of race in institutional decisions (often framed in discussions of affirmative action or anti-discrimination policy).