It is distinct from situations in which consenting individuals use mild or simulated pain or humiliation for sexual excitement.

[2] The words sadism and sadist are derived from the French writer and libertine Marquis de Sade, who wrote several novels depicting sexualized torture and violence.

Sexual sadism disorder is the term employed by the current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) of the American Psychiatric Association.

[1] It refers to the "recurrent and intense sexual arousal from the physical or psychological suffering of another person, as manifested by fantasies, urges, or behaviors" (p. 696).

Coercive sexual sadism disorder is the term used by the current version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

The condition is typically described as a paraphilia and continues to undergo research, but does not appear in the current DSM or ICD.

[8] BDSM or "bondage/discipline dominance/submission sadomasochism" is a colloquial term referring to the subculture of individuals who willingly engage in consenting forms of mild or simulated pain or humiliation.

[6] Sadomasochism appeared in the previous version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) of the World Health Organization.

[18] On personality testing, sadistic rapists apprehended by law enforcement have shown elevated traits of impulsivity, hypersexuality, callousness, and psychopathy.

[20] Surveys have also been conducted to include people who are interested in only mild and consensual forms of sexual pain/humiliation (BDSM).