BDSM is a variety of usually erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, self-discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, along with other similar interpersonal dynamics. Offered the wide selection of tactics, a few of which can be engaged in by people who will not think about by themselves being practising BDSM, inclusion from the BDSM Local community or subculture typically 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 used to be a capture-all phrase covering a wide range of functions, sorts of interpersonal relationships, and distinctive subcultures. BDSM communities commonly welcome any individual using a non-normative streak who identifies with the Group; this might consist of cross-dressers, system modification lovers, animal roleplayers, rubber fetishists, and Other individuals.

Activities and interactions in BDSM are frequently characterised with the participants' taking up roles which are complementary and contain inequality of electricity; Therefore, the thought of informed consent of both equally the partners is vital. The terms submissive and dominant in many cases are employed to differentiate these roles: the dominant companion ("dom") takes psychological Command in excess of the submissive ("sub"). The phrases top and bottom may also be employed; the very best is the instigator of an motion though the bottom could be the receiver of the action. The 2 sets of conditions are subtly various: by way of example, somebody may opt to act as base to a different individual, such as, by remaining whipped, purely recreationally, with no implication of currently being psychologically dominated, and submissives can be requested to massage their dominant associates. Even though the bottom carries out the motion and the highest receives it, they have not essentially switched roles.

The abbreviations sub and dom are commonly utilised as an alternative to submissive and dominant. Occasionally the feminine-certain conditions mistress, domme, and dominatrix are utilised to explain a dominant female, in lieu of the sometimes gender-neutral term dom. Individuals who modify amongst prime/dominant and base/submissive roles—irrespective of whether from relationship to partnership or inside a provided romantic relationship—are named switches. The exact definition of roles and self-identification is a typical matter of debate amongst BDSM individuals.