'world-building' originates from the combination of 'world' and 'building,' where 'world' refers to a realm or domain and 'building' refers to the act of constructing or creating.

'world-building' evolved from the concept of creating detailed settings in literature and games, becoming a recognized term in the 20th century.

Initially, it referred to the creation of physical structures, but now it primarily refers to the creation of fictional settings.