BDSM is many different generally erotic tactics or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and also other relevant interpersonal dynamics. Supplied the wide selection of techniques, a number of which may be engaged in by those who usually do not take into consideration on their own being practising BDSM, inclusion inside the BDSM Group or subculture usually is claimed to depend on self-identification and shared experience.

The initialism BDSM is 1st recorded in a Usenet write-up from 1991, and is also interpreted as a mix of the abbreviations B/D (Bondage and Willpower), D/s (Dominance and submission), and S/M (Sadism and Masochism). BDSM has become used like a capture-all phrase masking a wide range of routines, kinds of interpersonal interactions, and distinctive subcultures. BDSM communities frequently welcome anyone having a non-normative streak who identifies Together with the Neighborhood; this will likely contain cross-dressers, entire body modification lovers, animal roleplayers, rubber fetishists, and Many others.

Actions and associations in BDSM in many cases are characterised because of the contributors' taking over roles that are complementary and include inequality of energy; Hence, the idea of educated consent of both equally the companions is important. The terms submissive and dominant tend to be utilized to differentiate these roles: the dominant partner ("dom") usually takes psychological Command around the submissive ("sub"). The phrases prime and bottom are also used; the highest may be the instigator of an motion whilst The underside could be the receiver in the action. The 2 sets of terms are subtly distinctive: one example is, a person might prefer to act as base to another human being, one example is, by currently being whipped, purely recreationally, without any implication of remaining psychologically dominated, and submissives can be requested to massage their dominant companions. Although the bottom carries out the motion and the top receives it, they have not automatically switched roles.

The abbreviations sub and dom are frequently applied as opposed to submissive and dominant. Sometimes the female-unique terms mistress, domme, and dominatrix are made use of to describe a dominant lady, instead of the at times gender-neutral expression dom. People who alter involving top/dominant and bottom/submissive roles—no matter if from partnership to romantic relationship or inside of a offered romantic relationship—are termed switches. The precise definition of roles and self-identification is a typical issue of debate amongst BDSM members.