What is your definition of

[timekeeper]

What is your definition of a Master?
What is your definition of a Slave?
What is your definition of a Dominant?
What is your definition of a Submissive?
What is your definition of a Master/Doms role in a relationship?
What is your definition of a Slaves/Subs role in a relationship?

[TestingLimits]

I'm a BDSM newbie, so my definitions might vary a lot from someone who has been in the community for years, but to me...

What is your definition of a Master?
A master is someone who controls their partner outside of play. There are probably also fewer limits in this relationship, and this requires much more structure.

What is your definition of a Slave?
A slave is someone who is owned by a master or mistress. Their life revolves around their master and their master's pleasure.

What is your definition of a Dominant?
A dominant is someone who takes control during play time, but with D/s, play time does have a definite start and stop, unlike with M/s.

What is your definition of a Submissive?
A submissive is someone who usually submits during play. Their dom (or domme) doesn't have full control of them, however; they might even be the one who seems to be in charge outside of play. Some subs actually spend a lot of time in control and just want to let go while they're playing.

What is your definition of a Master/Doms role in a relationship?
A dom/domme has the responsibility of looking after their sub's pleasure and well-being during play, and they should always provide aftercare to pull their sub out of subspace. Basically, although a dom should feel free to push the limits, they should never go beyond their sub's limits, and they have a responsibility to help tend to any emotional (typically in the form of sub drop) or physical trauma left over after play. A master has an even greater responsibility, since the power exchange extends even further. It's up to them to see to all of their slave's needs, both sexual and platonic. Like a parent caring for a child (and sometimes that's the exact dynamic they play out), a master is responsible for basically running their slave's life, so while there may be an extent of consensual abuse, a master should try to keep their slave happy and healthy overall.

What is your definition of a Slaves/Subs role in a relationship?
A sub needs to clearly define their wants, needs, and limits, but then once those boundaries are drawn up, a sub should stick to them. Even while bratting, a sub should allow themselves to be nudged toward submission. While a lot of D/s relationships thrive on a bit of bratting, a sub simply refusing to go along with play that's within the agreed-upon bounds turns what should be a fun power struggle into an exhaustive chore for their dom. Ultimately, a sub is the one with the real power in a D/s relationship. In exchange for the power they give up during play, they get a considerable amount of control over the boundaries of play.

With slaves, however, they have next to no control, but that does mean relatively little responsibility. Their only responsibility is to submit for as long as they are owned. They can break off the relationship, but that is about their only means of resistance that isn't part of playing. The lack of responsibility is the biggest draw to being a slave.