S&M stands for sadism and masochism. It refers to sexual play that involves pain. (Note: sexual play does NOT mean that penetration must occur. Many people enjoy S&M while remaining fully clothed! But there is usually some sexual pleasure derived from the activity.)
Most often, S&M refers to the physical – play that causes physical pain. However, that is not the only form of S&M. There is also emotional S&M – play that causes emotional pain. Emotional S&M is no more inherently abusive than physical S&M when engaged in among willing partners.
S&M is also sometimes written as S/M or simply SM. However, it is distinct from M/s, which refers to a Master/slave relationship.
Important note: There is no such thing as a universally-accepted definition of anything in the world of kink. These definitions are mermaidmickey’s only. Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments!
Leave a Reply