'score-focused' originates from modern English compounding of 'score' and the past participle 'focused'. 'score' ultimately comes from Old Norse, specifically the word 'skor', where it meant 'notch' or 'cut' (used for tally marks). 'focused' derives from Latin 'focus', where it originally meant 'hearth'.

'focused' developed from Latin 'focus' → Late Latin/Modern English 'focus' → English past participle 'focused'. 'score' changed from Old Norse 'skor' (notch) → Middle English 'score' (tally/mark) → Modern English 'score' (a number of points or marks), and the compound 'score-focused' is a recent modern English formation.

Initially, 'score' meant a 'notch' used for tallying and later came to mean 'a number of points or marks'; 'focus' originally meant 'hearth' in Latin but shifted to mean 'point of attention', so 'focused' means 'having attention directed toward something'. Combined, 'score-focused' now means 'placing primary attention on scores or points'.