The term 'win-lose' is a compound word formed by combining 'win' and 'lose', both of which have Old English origins. 'Win' comes from 'winnan', meaning 'to strive or contend', and 'lose' comes from 'losian', meaning 'to perish or be lost'.

The concept of 'win-lose' evolved from the idea of competitive scenarios where one party's gain is another's loss.

Initially, 'win-lose' described any competitive situation, but it has come to specifically denote scenarios where one party's gain is directly at the expense of another.