BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, self-discipline, 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 consider themselves to be practising BDSM, inclusion during the BDSM Group or subculture generally is claimed to depend upon self-identification and shared knowledge.

The initialism BDSM is 1st 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 involve cross-dressers, human body modification enthusiasts, animal roleplayers, rubber fetishists, and Many others.

Pursuits and associations in BDSM tend to be characterised through the contributors' taking up roles that are complementary and entail inequality of energy; Consequently, the idea of educated consent of each the associates is crucial. The phrases submissive and dominant tend to be applied to distinguish these roles: the dominant lover ("dom") requires psychological Management over the submissive ("sub"). The phrases major and bottom also are used; the very best is definitely the instigator of an action though the bottom may be the receiver with the action. The two sets of phrases are subtly distinctive: for instance, an individual may perhaps decide to act as base to a different person, as an example, by staying whipped, purely recreationally, with none implication of being psychologically dominated, and submissives could possibly be requested to therapeutic massage their dominant associates. Although the bottom carries out the action and the very best receives it, they've got not automatically switched roles.

The abbreviations sub and dom are routinely used as opposed to submissive and dominant. From time to time the feminine-unique conditions mistress, domme, and dominatrix are used to describe a dominant woman, rather than the at times gender-neutral expression dom. Individuals who adjust involving top rated/dominant and base/submissive roles—whether or not from connection to romantic relationship or in a presented romance—are identified as switches. The exact definition of roles and self-identification is a typical matter of debate amongst BDSM participants.