'wind-reactive' originates from Modern English, specifically the words 'wind' (from Old English 'wind') and 'reactive' (from Latin 'reactivus' via Modern Latin/French), where 'wind' meant 'moving air' and the prefix 're-' meant 'again/back' with the root related to 'agere' meaning 'to drive/do'.

'wind-reactive' developed as a descriptive compound from the phrase 'wind reactive' and later became hyphenated in technical and descriptive contexts to form the modern compound 'wind-reactive'.

Initially a straightforward descriptive compound meaning 'reactive to wind', the term has become more specialized in technical fields (e.g., engineering, architecture, kinetic sculpture) to describe designed or measurable responsiveness to wind.