BDSM is various typically erotic tactics or roleplaying involving bondage, willpower, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, as well as other relevant interpersonal dynamics. Presented the wide selection of procedures, a few of which may be engaged in by individuals who usually do not contemplate by themselves for being practising BDSM, inclusion inside the BDSM Neighborhood or subculture frequently is alleged to count on self-identification and shared working experience.

The initialism BDSM is initially recorded in a very Usenet put up from 1991, and is also interpreted as a combination of the abbreviations B/D (Bondage and Willpower), D/s (Dominance and submission), and S/M (Sadism and Masochism). BDSM has become utilised as being a capture-all phrase masking an array of actions, varieties of interpersonal associations, and distinct subcultures. BDSM communities generally welcome any one by using a non-normative streak who identifies With all the community; this will likely contain cross-dressers, physique modification fans, animal roleplayers, rubber fetishists, and Other folks.

Actions and interactions in BDSM are frequently characterised with the participants' taking over roles which are complementary and contain inequality of electrical power; thus, the concept of informed consent of equally the partners is important. The terms submissive and dominant are often utilised to differentiate these roles: the dominant spouse ("dom") takes psychological Management over the submissive ("sub"). The phrases top rated and bottom will also be used; the very best is definitely the instigator of an motion though the bottom would be the receiver of your action. The two sets of phrases are subtly distinctive: as an example, another person may elect to work as base to a different person, by way of example, by remaining whipped, purely recreationally, without any implication of getting psychologically dominated, and submissives can be purchased to massage their dominant partners. Although the bottom carries out the action and the highest gets it, they may have not essentially switched roles.

The abbreviations sub and dom are often employed in place of submissive and dominant. In some cases the feminine-specific terms mistress, domme, and dominatrix are utilized to describe a dominant lady, as an alternative to the from time to time gender-neutral time period dom. People who improve between leading/dominant and bottom/submissive roles—regardless of whether from romantic relationship to romance or in just a supplied romance—are termed switches. The specific definition of roles and self-identification is a standard subject matter of discussion between BDSM members.