Wire terminals are passive conductors used to facilitate a connection that is not soldered. They are two-piece assemblies that consist of a receptor (female) and blade (male) which help to provide repeated connection and disconnection. There are many types of products. Examples include spade terminals, ring terminals, blade terminals, and heat-sinkable terminals.

Wire terminals simplify the connection process because stripping of wire insulation, and heating and tinning of the braid, is not required. Spade terminals and ring terminals are the most popular types of terminal.

• Ring terminals are a type of solderless device that ensures reliable and safe connection because it cannot be removed from a component unless the stud is completely removed.
• Spade terminals are available in various models, such as self-locking, block, and flanged. These wire terminals make connections by loosening the stud and inserting the tongue under the stud-screw head, thus reducing the time required in assembly.
• Solderless connectors are wire terminals that provide an electrical connection between two components without permanently soldering them. They are tiny connectors with wires that can plug into a connector housing and can be removed when desired. Different types of solderless connectors are the butt connector, parallel connector, and the closed end connector. These devices are used when cost, space and assembly time are important considerations.
• Solderless adapters are special types of wire terminals that allow the installation of chips with soldering, and which do not use any rivets. A solderless adapter is easy to install because it does not require any wire or soldering to establish a connection. They are of various types of solderless adapters, such as PLCC adapters, ribbon cable adapters, and receptacle adapters.

Wire terminals use brass (because of its spring and wear characteristics) between the receptor and blade to establish the connection. Wire terminals are used widely at places where repeated assembly and disassembly is required, such as a high voltage connector resistor, fuse holder, circuit breaker, and crimp and tool terminals. They must conform to regulatory requirements such as RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances), a European Union (EU) directive that requires all manufacturers of electronic and electrical equipments sold in Europe to show that the company's products contain minimal level of hazardous substances.