BDSM is a range of typically erotic techniques or roleplaying involving bondage, willpower, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, as well as other connected interpersonal dynamics. Provided the wide selection of methods, a few of which can be engaged in by people who don't think about themselves to be practising BDSM, inclusion in the BDSM Group or subculture generally is claimed to depend upon self-identification and shared knowledge.

The initialism BDSM is very first recorded within 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 variety of functions, kinds of interpersonal relationships, and distinctive subcultures. BDSM communities normally welcome anybody with a non-normative streak who identifies Along with the Neighborhood; this may include things like cross-dressers, entire body modification enthusiasts, animal roleplayers, rubber fetishists, and Many others.

Routines and relationships in BDSM in many cases are characterized via the individuals' taking over roles which might be complementary and involve inequality of electric power; Therefore, the thought of informed 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 Handle around the submissive ("sub"). The terms prime and bottom may also be made use of; the very best could be the instigator of an action when The underside may be the receiver with the motion. The two sets of phrases are subtly unique: for instance, an individual may perhaps decide to act as base to another particular person, one example is, by being whipped, purely recreationally, with no implication of currently being psychologically dominated, and submissives may very well be ordered to massage their dominant companions. Even though the base carries out the motion and the best gets it, they have not necessarily switched roles.

The abbreviations sub and dom are regularly utilised instead of submissive and dominant. Occasionally the female-certain phrases mistress, domme, and dominatrix are applied to explain a dominant female, in lieu of the sometimes gender-neutral term dom. Individuals who alter among best/dominant and bottom/submissive roles—irrespective of whether from relationship to partnership or within a offered partnership—are referred to as switches. The precise definition of roles and self-identification is a common subject of debate among the BDSM contributors.