diff --git a/Doc/library/fnmatch.rst b/Doc/library/fnmatch.rst
index ce07d326b39..925f08e9146 100644
--- a/Doc/library/fnmatch.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/fnmatch.rst
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ patterns.
 
 .. function:: filter(names, pattern)
 
-   Return the subset of the list of *names* that match *pattern*. It is the same as
+   Construct a list from those elements of the iterable *names* that match *pattern*. It is the same as
    ``[n for n in names if fnmatch(n, pattern)]``, but implemented more efficiently.
 
 
diff --git a/Lib/fnmatch.py b/Lib/fnmatch.py
index 0eb1802bdb5..7c52c23067d 100644
--- a/Lib/fnmatch.py
+++ b/Lib/fnmatch.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def _compile_pattern(pat):
     return re.compile(res).match
 
 def filter(names, pat):
-    """Return the subset of the list NAMES that match PAT."""
+    """Construct a list from those elements of the iterable NAMES that match PAT."""
     result = []
     pat = os.path.normcase(pat)
     match = _compile_pattern(pat)