# What Is a Kink?

> Kink is a word everyone uses and almost nobody actually defines. Here's the plain meaning, where the slang usage came from, safe examples by theme, and where the word stops and BDSM or fetish start.

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

## Scope

This page covers: kink meaning.
Also addresses: what is the meaning of kink; kinks examples; kink meaning slang; kink definition; what is a kink.
Not covered here (see the linked pages instead): fetish meaning; kink vs fetish; bdsm vs kink vs fetish; why do people have kinks; kink shaming; kink in india; bdsm test.

## Key concepts

- kink
- BDSM
- fetish
- fantasy
- consent
- D/s
- power exchange

## Sections

- Kink meaning — the plain version and the slang version (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/what-is-a-kink/#kink-meaning)
- Why there's no master list of what counts as kinky (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/what-is-a-kink/#whats-kinky-varies)
- Examples of kink, by theme rather than by act (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/what-is-a-kink/#examples-by-theme)
- Is BDSM a kink? (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/what-is-a-kink/#kink-vs-bdsm)
- Kink vs fetish, in one paragraph (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/what-is-a-kink/#kink-vs-fetish)
- Do kinks define who you are, and where do they come from? (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/what-is-a-kink/#kinks-identity-and-origins)
- Is having a kink unhealthy? (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/what-is-a-kink/#is-a-kink-unhealthy)
- Consent, and how to bring a kink up without pressure (https://classic-bdsm.com/learn/what-is-a-kink/#talking-about-a-kink)

## Sources referenced

- Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy — Richard A. Sprott, Cara Herbitter, Patrick Grant, Charles Moser & Peggy J. Kleinplatz, "Clinical Guidelines for Working with Clients Involved in Kink" (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37439228/)

Last reviewed: 2026-09-01