A terminal is an app where you type instructions for your computer instead of choosing everything from menus. It is a bit like giving a computer a written to-do list.
Developers use a terminal to start a website, run checks, or ask Git to save a change. An AI coding assistant may also suggest a terminal command, but you should understand what it will do before running it—especially if it changes or deletes files.
The terminal is only the window; the program that reads your typed instructions is called a shell. You can use a computer without opening a terminal for most everyday tasks.