BDSM is a number of usually erotic procedures or roleplaying involving bondage, self-control, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other associated interpersonal dynamics. Offered the wide range of practices, some of which can be engaged in by people who don't think about themselves 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 publish from 1991, and is interpreted as a mix of the abbreviations B/D (Bondage and Self-control), D/s (Dominance and submission), and S/M (Sadism and Masochism). BDSM is now used to be a capture-all phrase covering a wide range of things to do, sorts of interpersonal associations, and distinct subcultures. BDSM communities frequently welcome everyone using a non-normative streak who identifies Using the Group; this will likely contain cross-dressers, physique modification fans, animal roleplayers, rubber fetishists, and Other folks.

Actions and interactions in BDSM are sometimes characterized because of the individuals' taking over roles which might be complementary and involve inequality of electric power; Hence, the thought of knowledgeable consent of both of those the companions is critical. The phrases submissive and dominant will often be employed to differentiate these roles: the dominant spouse ("dom") usually takes psychological Management around the submissive ("sub"). The phrases best and bottom are utilised; the top is the instigator of an motion while the bottom could be the receiver of the action. The 2 sets of conditions are subtly different: by way of example, someone could opt to work as bottom to another particular person, such as, by becoming whipped, purely recreationally, with no implication of staying psychologically dominated, and submissives may be ordered to massage their dominant companions. Even though the base carries out the motion and the best gets it, they have not always switched roles.

The abbreviations sub and dom are regularly utilised in lieu of submissive and dominant. Sometimes the female-particular phrases mistress, domme, and dominatrix are employed to explain a dominant girl, in place of the in some cases gender-neutral time period dom. People who change in between leading/dominant and bottom/submissive roles—regardless of whether from romantic relationship to romance or inside of a specified marriage—are termed switches. The specific definition of roles and self-identification is a standard subject matter of discussion between BDSM members.