GLOSSAY

BDSM (Racy Wilde definition)

Definition:
A collection of taboo practices for the exploration and experience of the full human spectrum of arousal—emotional (both positive and negative), psychological, and somatic. It is not just about sex or pain, but about accessing layered states of being.

Academic Frameworks:
Affect theory, somatic psychology, taboo studies.

Context:
Emphasises BDSM as a consciousness-expanding practice, not a kink checklist.

Source: FEMDOMSEXUAL – A Power-Based Orientation by Racy Wilde

Kink

Definition:
Non-normative sexual activity or practices that deviate from socially accepted expressions of sexuality. Often includes roleplay, sensation play, taboo transgression, and psychological exploration.

Academic Frameworks:
Sexual deviance theory, subcultural studies, kink ethics.

Context:
Kink is not pathology; it is a legitimate erotic mode of identity and expression. Kink is not BDSM.

Source: FEMDOMSEXUAL – A Power-Based Orientation by Racy Wilde

Domination/submission (D/s) (Racy Wilde Definition)

Definition:
An asymmetrical power-based dynamic where one party (the Dominant) exerts power, control, or leadership, and the other (the submissive) offers surrender, service, or receptivity. A relational structure, not to be confused with activities of kink.

Academic Frameworks:
Power theory, relational psychology.

Context:
May be structured temporarily (scene-based) or lived continuously (24/7), but always defined by consensual asymmetry.

Source: FEMDOMSEXUAL – A Power-Based Orientation by Racy Wilde

Femdom (Racy Wilde Definition)

Definition:
To qualify as Femdom, the dynamic must feature:

1. A power imbalance tilted toward the female.
2. A structure organised by female-centric desire.
3. An intentional logic of emotional, erotic, or symbolic dominance.

Distinguishing Note:
The Domina authors the frame. If Her will is compromised or male-scripted, it ceases to be Femdom—even if she appears in the Dominant role.

Source: FEMDOM – An In-Depth Exploration

Female-Led Asymmetrical Power-Based Dynamic (Femdom)

Definition:
A structured D/s dynamic where the Domina holds unbalanced and directional power, derived from Her own internal authority. The submissive aligns not by force, but by devotion and consent to Her erotic governance.

Clarification:
Not all female-led dynamics are asymmetrical, and not all are Femdom. What qualifies it is asymmetry + female-authored desire.

Source: Repeated across The Power of Femdom by Racy Wilde, The Philosophy of Cruelty by Racy Wilde, and Domina Principle essays by Racy Wilde.

Authentic Femdom / Authentic Domination

Definition:
Domination that emerges from the Domina’s interior erotic logic, not the submissive’s wishlist or cultural expectation. It is both relational and sovereign, grounded in real desire, not imitation.

Academic Frameworks:
Audre Lorde (the erotic as power), bell hooks (non-coercive power), Julia Kristeva (semiotic feminine expression).

Context:
Contrasts with male-coded, porn-influenced performativity.

Source: Deprogramming from Male-Centric Domination by Racy Wilde, FEMDOMSEXUAL by Racy Wilde, Philosophy of Cruelty by Racy Wilde

Authentic Submissive / Authentic Submission

Definition:
Submission offered in service to the Domina’s real desire, not out of kink-scripted rituals or self-pleasure. An authentic submissive surrenders within a Domina’s logic, not his own fantasies.

Markers:
Self-leadership, devotion, adaptability, erotic intelligence, emotional maturity.

Source: Domina Principle for Submissives by Racy Wilde, Female Domination 101 series by Racy Wilde

Female-Centric Femdom

Definition:
A structure of Female Domination explicitly driven by female desire—emotional, psychological, sexual, or symbolic. The Domina’s will, not the submissive’s fantasies, shapes the dynamic. This orientation rejects male-centric scripting and instead centres the female erotic as sovereign.

Context:
Used to distinguish authentic Domination from the widespread male-gaze-driven Femdom popularised through porn and performative D/s.

Source: Deprogramming from Male-Centric Domination by Racy Wilde, FEMDOMSEXUAL – A Power-Based Orientation by Racy Wilde

Male-Centric Femdom

Definition:
A style of Femdom shaped by male fantasy, pornographic tropes, and commercial scripts where female dominance is performed to gratify the submissive male.

Academic Frameworks:
Laura Mulvey (male gaze), feminist media studies, objectification theory.

Context:
Contrasted with authentic Femdom, which arises from female interior erotic logic.

Source: Deprogramming from Male-Centric Domination by Racy Wilde

Absolute Femdom / Absolute Domination

Definition:
A power-based D/s structure in which the submissive consents not to a list of acts, but to the Domina’s ongoing authority. It is a positional, asymmetrical power dynamic centred on Her logic, not negotiated transaction.

Philosophical Grounding:
Aligns with Arendt’s distinction between power and coercion, and echoes Simone de Beauvoir’s ideas on subjectivity.

Context:
Opposes scene-based, “negotiated” domination that keeps power under the sub’s authorship. Here, consent is a gateway—not a leash.

Source: Domina Principle Essays by Racy Wilde, Female Domination 101 series by Racy Wilde.

Relative Femdom / Relative Domination

Definition:
A consensual D/s structure where power is roleplayed, negotiated, and conditional. The submissive has co-authorship of the dynamic by scripting limits and fantasies to be fulfilled. The Domina acts within these constraints.

Also Known As:
Scene-based D/s, negotiated topping, conditional Femdom.

Context:
Clarifies that although this structure may look like domination, it is ultimately collaborative, not authoritative.

Source: Domina Principle Essays by Racy Wilde, Female Domination 101 by Racy Wilde

Female Domination

Femdom Dramaturgy

Definition:
The intentional, curated use of erotic, psychological, and symbolic techniques by a Domina to structure, direct, and escalate her dominance. Femdom dramaturgy includes the affective tools, gestures, pacing, and semiotic choices through which a Domina enacts power, evokes submission, and shapes experience. It is not a list of acts, but a signature style—her unique grammar of domination.

Philosophical Root:
Emerging from performance theory, ritual studies, and feminist erotic epistemology, Femdom dramaturgy understands domination as a crafted encounter rather than a reactive script. It frames the Domina not as an improviser within a submissive’s fantasy, but as a choreographer of psychological, sensory, and symbolic impact.

Context:
Applicable to both Relative and Absolute Femdom, but constrained differently within each. In Relative Femdom, dramaturgy must often be pre-negotiated or occur within a co-authored container. In Absolute Femdom, the Domina’s dramaturgy constitutes the architecture of the dynamic itself.

Academic Frameworks:
Victor Turner (ritual performance), Sherry Ortner (ritual as cultural communication), Judith Butler (performativity), and Audre Lorde (the erotic as power).

Source:
Negotiation in Femdom by Racy Wilde, Does Consent Mean You Are Dominating or Just Roleplaying? by Racy Wilde

Erotic Sovereignty

Definition:
A Domina’s autonomous control over the meaning, methods, and outcomes of her erotic power. Erotic Sovereignty is not just the right to lead, it is the refusal to dilute or outsource one’s erotic will to external expectations, male fantasy, or performative normativity.

Context:
The term “sovereignty” is often used in mainstream erotic and empowerment discourse, usually to denote female sexual autonomy. However, in the context of Absolute Femdom, Erotic Sovereignty is not just the right to say yes or no, it is the right to design, define, and deploy erotic power on Her own terms. It exceeds choice; it is a governance of meaning.

Philosophical Root:
This entry traces its lineage through feminist political theory, especially post-structuralist thinkers like Irigaray and Kristeva, who emphasize that female subjectivity must not mimic masculine structures of agency. Erotic Sovereignty is a refusal to perform desire in pre-scripted ways. It is the assertion that female power does not need translation or validation. It speaks in its own grammar, and Femdom is its native tongue.

Erotic Logic

Definition:
The internal structuring principle of a Domina’s desire, behaviour, and relational choices within a Femdom dynamic. It refers not to a list of preferences or kinks, but to the epistemological architecture of Her erotic power—how She knows what She wants, and how She acts upon that knowing.

Context:
Erotic Logic is a central tenet of Absolute Femdom. It is what guides the Domina’s decision-making, scene construction, disciplinary tone, affective energy, and symbolic choices. Unlike generic sexual desire, which is often reactive or co-authored, Erotic Logic emerges from within the Domina as a coherent system of meaning. It is personal, internally authored, and sovereign.

Philosophical Root:
Erotic Logic can be situated within feminist theories of epistemology and desire, particularly those of Hélène Cixous, Julia Kristeva, and Audre Lorde. These thinkers emphasise the connection between female subjectivity and language, sensation, and knowing. Erotic Logic is not a linear rationale, but a sensual intelligence; what Lorde called “the erotic as power.” It is a grammar of power that precedes articulation, yet governs the entire dynamic.

Erotic Authorship

Definition:
The act of generating and directing the erotic narrative, not through roleplay, but through sovereign creative leadership. Erotic Authorship determines who designs the dynamic, who sets its tone, and whose logic drives the unfolding of desire.

Context:
In Relative Femdom, Erotic Authorship is often shared or negotiated. In Absolute Femdom, it belongs to the Domina. Her authorship is not merely artistic—it is structural. It dictates not just what happens, but why it happens, and what it means. She is not performing for the submissive’s fantasy; She is composing the conditions through which submission becomes meaningful.

Philosophical Root:
Drawing from Russian Formalism (particularly Bakhtin’s concept of dialogism) and feminist literary theory, Erotic Authorship affirms that the one who writes the script determines the meaning of the experience. Authorship is not control over content—it is control over frame. In Femdom, the Domina’s authorship is what transforms interaction into domination.

Ritual Design / Cultural Curation

Definition:
The intentional creation of symbolic acts, ceremonies, and affective experiences by the Domina to shape the submissive’s consciousness and recondition male desire.

Academic Frameworks:
Victor Turner (liminality and ritual), Sherry Ortner (symbolic mediation), performance theory.

Context:
The Domina becomes not just a dominant figure but a mediator of cultural and erotic transformation.

Source: Deprogramming from Male-Centric Domination by Racy Wilde

Erotic Femininity

Definition:
Femininity rooted in embodied affect and sensual expression, rather than cultural prescriptions. It is how female power feels when expressed through intuition, rhythm, and embodied presence.

Academic Frameworks:
Julia Kristeva (semiotic chora), Luce Irigaray (female subjectivity), psychoanalytic feminism.

Context:
Contrasts with structural femininity, which is externally taught and enforced to serve male appetites.

Source: Deprogramming from Male-Centric Domination by Racy Wilde

Domina Authority vs Control

Definition:
A distinction between structural erotic authorship (authority) and situational behavioural influence (control). Authority is the overarching frame through which the Domina governs the dynamic. Control refers to the moment-by-moment management of actions, behaviours, or responses.

Context:
In Femdom, a Domina may exercise control over a scene—what He wears, how He moves, when He speaks—but authority refers to Her authorship of the entire relational container. Authority is not merely expressed; it is recognised. It is the condition that makes control possible, not a series of isolated decisions.

Philosophical Root:
This distinction aligns with political and philosophical analyses of power, particularly those articulated by Hannah Arendt. Arendt argues that control is a force, but authority is a recognised structure. In Femdom, control without authority is choreography. Authority without control is abstraction. Authentic Domination arises when both align, and the source of that alignment is the Domina’s position as the architect of meaning.

Erotic Identity & Orientation

Power-Based Attraction

Definition:
A form of desire oriented toward asymmetry in authority and power, rather than toward specific physical characteristics or gender.

Context:
Forms the foundation of Femdomsexuality, where the erotic is awakened by the presence of dominance (especially female-led dominance), or submission.

Philosophical Root:
Draws from psychoanalytic and affect theory: desire is structured relationally, not anatomically.

Source: FEMDOMSEXUAL – A Power-Based Orientation by Racy Wilde

Power-Based Orientation

Definition:
An erotic and/or relational orientation structured around desire for asymmetrical power dynamics, rather than gender or sexual acts. It positions power—especially directional, emotional, and symbolic power—as the primary axis of arousal and connection.

Context:
This term challenges conventional identity models based on gender (heterosexual, bisexual, etc.) by suggesting that one’s core desire may be for the structure of power exchange itself. It allows for fluid expression across gendered interactions, while remaining anchored in the experience of hierarchy. For Femdomsexuals, attraction exists within a power-based relational system.

Philosophical Root:
Grounded in Foucault’s concept that power is not just repressive but productive, and in Judith Butler’s theory that desire is formed through relational structures rather than innate identities. Also draws on Audre Lorde’s vision of the erotic as a profound source of power, and Michel de Certeau’s ideas of spatial practice—how individuals engage with structured authority not as passive recipients, but as strategic navigators.

Related Terms:
Femdomsexual, Dominance/submission, Erotic orientation

Source: FEMDOMSEXUAL – A Power-Based Orientation by Racy Wilde

Femdomsexual / Femdomsexuality

Definition:
A power-based sexual orientation defined by an enduring erotic, emotional, or relational attraction to female dominance or submission within a female-led power dynamic. It is not based on gender alone, but on the structure of desire—where female authority or submission to it is the central erotic axis.

Academic Frameworks:
Sara Ahmed (orientation theory), Judith Butler (performative gender), queer theory, genre theory.

Context:
Challenges traditional sexual orientation models by introducing power-based relational directionality as a primary axis of erotic identity. Comparable to orientations like queer, sapiosexuality or demisexuality.

Source: FEMDOMSEXUAL – A Power-Based Orientation by Racy Wilde

Submissive Fetishist

Definition:
An individual who identifies as submissive but is actually engaging in service kink for self-oriented arousal. Often presents submissiveness to access specific acts or affirmations, but remains in control of the power structure.

Red Flags:
Insistence on scripts, refusal to grow, erotic inflexibility, prioritising personal gratification over devotion.

Source: Female Domination 101 by Racy Wilde, Deprogramming from Male-Centric Domination by Racy Wilde

Erotic Arts & Literature

Femdom Literature

Definition:
A genre where the Domina figure governs not just the events, but the structure, rhythm, and knowledge of the text. Power is expressed through narrative design, symbolic meaning, and affective withholding.

Academic Frameworks:
Narrative control, epistemic asymmetry, affect theory.

Context:
The Domina may not be the narrator, but she organises how meaning is accessed and when.

Source: Femdom Literature as Genre (Thesis) by Racy Wilde

Domina Figure

Definition:
A literary and symbolic structure denoting the organising force of female-led power in Femdom narratives. Unlike the dominatrix, she is not defined by attire or visual tropes but by her epistemic, narrative, and affective control.

Academic Frameworks:
Narrative theory, structuralism, epistemology of power.

Context:
She controls the terms of engagement, not through spectacle, but through structural sovereignty.

Source: Femdom Literature as Genre (Thesis) by Racy Wilde

Structural Domination

Definition:
Domination embedded in the form of the narrative itself, not through characters alone, but through the control of pacing, access to knowledge, emotional rhythm, and symbolic authority.

Academic Frameworks:
Narratology, epistemic asymmetry, structuralist literary theory.

Context:
Used to analyse how female authority is enacted through literary architecture rather than just plot.

Source: Femdom Literature as Genre (Thesis) by Racy Wilde