BDSM is a range of often erotic methods or roleplaying involving bondage, self-control, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Offered the wide range of practices, some of which can be engaged in by people who do not consider them selves to generally be practising BDSM, inclusion during the BDSM Group or subculture generally is claimed to rely on self-identification and shared expertise.

The initialism BDSM is initial recorded inside a Usenet post from 1991, and is particularly interpreted as a mix of the abbreviations B/D (Bondage and Self-discipline), D/s (Dominance and submission), and S/M (Sadism and Masochism). BDSM is now applied as a capture-all phrase masking an array of pursuits, kinds of interpersonal associations, and distinctive subcultures. BDSM communities frequently welcome anyone with a non-normative streak who identifies Using the community; this may consist of cross-dressers, entire body modification lovers, animal roleplayers, rubber fetishists, and others.

Actions and interactions in BDSM are often characterised with the members' taking up roles that happen to be complementary and contain inequality of power; Consequently, the idea of educated consent of each the associates is crucial. The conditions submissive and dominant tend to be applied to distinguish these roles: the dominant associate ("dom") requires psychological Regulate over the submissive ("sub"). The phrases top and bottom also are utilized; the highest is the instigator of an motion even though the bottom is the receiver of the motion. The two sets of conditions are subtly distinct: for example, another person could decide to work as bottom to a different individual, such as, by getting whipped, purely recreationally, with none implication of currently being psychologically dominated, and submissives might be purchased to massage their dominant associates. Although the base carries out the motion and the top gets it, they've got not necessarily switched roles.

The abbreviations sub and dom are frequently made use of as opposed to submissive and dominant. Often the female-distinct phrases mistress, domme, and dominatrix are utilized to explain a dominant woman, as an alternative to the sometimes gender-neutral expression dom. People who transform among leading/dominant and base/submissive roles—irrespective of whether from romantic relationship to relationship or in just a offered marriage—are named switches. The specific definition of roles and self-identification is a typical issue of debate between BDSM contributors.