'well-put' originates from English, combining 'well' meaning 'in a good or proper manner' and the past participle 'put' meaning 'expressed or phrased'.

'well put' appeared in 19th-century English as a predicative compliment and later developed the hyphenated attributive form 'well-put' for use before nouns.

Initially, it meant 'expressed well/aptly,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.