BDSM Lexicon · Abbreviations

IRL

IRL is short for In Real Life and literally means ‘in real life’. Within the BDSM context, it refers to physical contact or experiences outside the online or virtual world. It is often used to distinguish between digital interaction (such as chat, cam, or online D/s) and actual encounters between Dominant and sub in reality.

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Related terms

• Dungeon
• Hygiene
• Dominant
• Consent
• Sub

Learn more in the online training What is BDSM?. The BDSM Lexicon is part of BDSMforyou, written by Mistress Moriah and published by Insert Internetuitgeverij.