# What Does Sadism Mean in BDSM?

> This word gets used for crime headlines, playground insults and one very specific consensual interest, and the internet rarely tells you which one it means. Here is the BDSM sense, on its own terms.

Canonical URL: https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/sadism-meaning/
Markdown: https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/sadism-meaning/index.md
Publication: Classic BDSM — an India-focused, adult-only, non-explicit educational resource.

## Scope

This page covers: sadism meaning.
Also addresses: what does sadism mean; sadist meaning in bdsm; sadism in a relationship.
Not covered here (see the linked pages instead): masochism meaning; s and m meaning; sadist and masochist meaning; dominance vs control.

## Key concepts

- sadism
- sadist
- BDSM
- dominance
- consent
- cruelty
- abuse
- sexual sadism disorder

## Sections

- Sadism meaning in BDSM (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/sadism-meaning/#sadism-meaning-in-bdsm)
- Why this word causes so much confusion (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/sadism-meaning/#why-the-word-causes-confusion)
- Consensual sadism versus cruelty (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/sadism-meaning/#consensual-sadism-vs-cruelty)
- Sadism versus dominance (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/sadism-meaning/#sadism-vs-dominance)
- Sadism versus abuse (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/sadism-meaning/#sadism-vs-abuse)
- Sadism and masochism (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/sadism-meaning/#sadism-and-masochism)
- Is sadism a mental disorder? (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/sadism-meaning/#is-sadism-a-mental-disorder)
- Why you might use the label, and what it does not grant (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/sadism-meaning/#why-someone-might-use-the-label)

## Sources referenced

- American Psychiatric Association — Paraphilic Disorders (DSM-5 Fact Sheet) (https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Practice/DSM/APA_DSM-5-Paraphilic-Disorders.pdf)
- The Journal of Sex Research — Jaime M. Brown, Meg-John Barker & Qazi Rahman, "A Systematic Scoping Review of the Prevalence, Etiological, Psychological, and Interpersonal Factors Associated with BDSM" (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31617765/)

Last reviewed: 2026-08-31