BDSM is a variety of frequently erotic procedures or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, along with other similar interpersonal dynamics. Offered the big selection of practices, a few of which may be engaged in by folks who do not take into account them selves to be practising BDSM, inclusion inside the BDSM Local community or subculture normally is said to rely upon self-identification and shared knowledge.

The initialism BDSM is first recorded within a Usenet write-up from 1991, and is also interpreted as a mix of the abbreviations B/D (Bondage and Discipline), D/s (Dominance and submission), and S/M (Sadism and Masochism). BDSM is currently used being a catch-all phrase covering an array of routines, types of interpersonal associations, and unique subcultures. BDSM communities normally welcome everyone using a non-normative streak who identifies Using the Neighborhood; this might include things like cross-dressers, body modification fanatics, animal roleplayers, rubber fetishists, and Some others.

Activities and interactions in BDSM are often characterized from the individuals' taking on roles that happen to be complementary and entail inequality of power; Consequently, the idea of knowledgeable consent of the two the associates is important. The conditions submissive and dominant are sometimes used to tell apart these roles: the dominant partner ("dom") normally takes psychological Manage about the submissive ("sub"). The terms prime and base may also be made use of; the very best could be the instigator of an action when the bottom would be the receiver of your action. The two sets of conditions are subtly different: by way of example, anyone could opt to work as bottom to another man or woman, such as, by getting whipped, purely recreationally, with no implication of remaining 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 necessarily switched roles.

The abbreviations sub and dom are regularly utilised instead of submissive and dominant. Occasionally the female-distinct phrases mistress, domme, and dominatrix are applied to explain a dominant female, instead of the occasionally gender-neutral phrase dom. Individuals who change in between leading/dominant and bottom/submissive roles—whether or not from romantic relationship to romantic relationship or in just a supplied marriage—are termed switches. The specific definition of roles and self-identification is a standard issue of discussion between BDSM members.