Term life insurance is called "term" because it provides coverage for a specific period or term (most often 1, 5, 10, 15 or 20 years). For this reason, it is also called "temporary" insurance. If death occurs during the term, the policy pays cash benefits to the beneficiary. However, once the term is over, and if the policy is not renewed, the coverage ceases. If death occurs after te coverage ceases, no cash benefits are paid out.
Term insurance is the most straightforward type of life insurance and the easiest to understand. Sometimes it is called "pure" insurance, since the policy has no financial investment value and most of your premium goes to pay for coverage, with only a small amount used to pay the insurance company's costs. If you are looking for the maximum amount of coverage for your dollar, term life insurance will give you the most bang for your buck.