'virtue-focused' is a modern English compound formed from 'virtue' and 'focused'. 'virtue' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'virtus', where 'virtus' meant 'excellence' or 'manly quality' and more generally moral excellence. 'focused' comes from 'focus', a Latin word meaning 'hearth' that later developed the sense of 'center' or 'point of attention'.

'virtue' entered English via Old French 'vertu' from Latin 'virtus' and became Middle English 'vertu' before modern English 'virtue'; 'focus' entered English from Latin 'focus' and developed the adjectival past-participle form 'focused' in modern English usage. The compound combination 'virtue-focused' is a recent English formation using an established noun plus a participial adjective to indicate orientation toward virtues.

Individually, 'virtue' originally referred to excellence or manly strength and later generalized to moral excellence; 'focus' originally meant 'hearth' and later 'center of attention'. Combined as 'virtue-focused', the phrase evolved to mean 'centered on moral qualities' in contemporary usage.