Domination & submission (BDSM)

submission also has other meanings

A woman is tied to the bed, in erotic play

Domination and submission is a lifestyle. Often it is seen as a form of erotic play. Usually two people do this. With this lifestyle or context, one of the two people has the role of a domme; he or she can tell the other (called submissive) to do things. The submissive has to obey. The roles are usually agreed on beforehand, and the submission is voluntary. Sadomasochism may be seen as a variation of domination and submission. A person who plays both roles is called a switch.

Usually the participants agree on a safe word; if the submissive says this word the whole play stops. This is to prevent the dominant from overstepping limits and causing physical or emotional harm to the submissive.