BDSM is many different normally erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and also other relevant interpersonal dynamics. Supplied the wide selection of procedures, a number of which may be engaged in by those who tend not to take into account by themselves to get practising BDSM, inclusion inside the BDSM Local community or subculture often is claimed to rely upon self-identification and shared practical experience.

The initialism BDSM is initially recorded in the Usenet put up from 1991, and is also interpreted as a combination of the abbreviations B/D (Bondage and Willpower), D/s (Dominance and submission), and S/M (Sadism and Masochism). BDSM is currently employed as being a catch-all phrase covering an array of actions, types of interpersonal associations, and distinct subcultures. BDSM communities typically welcome everyone by using a non-normative streak who identifies With all the community; this will contain cross-dressers, system modification enthusiasts, animal roleplayers, rubber fetishists, and Other individuals.

Pursuits and associations in BDSM are frequently characterised from the contributors' taking up roles that are complementary and require inequality of electric power; So, the thought of educated consent of both equally the companions is important. The terms submissive and dominant are frequently employed to differentiate these roles: the dominant lover ("dom") can take psychological Handle more than the submissive ("sub"). The conditions major and base can also be utilized; the best could be the instigator of an motion even though the bottom is definitely the receiver from the motion. The 2 sets of terms are subtly diverse: by way of example, a person could choose to act as base to a different person, as an example, by staying whipped, purely recreationally, with none implication of becoming psychologically dominated, and submissives can be purchased to massage their dominant companions. Even though the bottom carries out the motion and the top receives it, they've got not essentially switched roles.

The abbreviations sub and dom are usually used in place of submissive and dominant. Sometimes the female-particular phrases mistress, domme, and dominatrix are utilised to explain a dominant girl, in lieu of the sometimes gender-neutral term dom. Individuals who alter among prime/dominant and base/submissive roles—irrespective of whether from relationship to connection or inside of a offered romantic relationship—are termed switches. The specific definition of roles and self-identification is a standard subject of debate amongst BDSM individuals.