diff --git a/Doc/glossary.rst b/Doc/glossary.rst
index 4fd01e0160c..96d33ac1abb 100644
--- a/Doc/glossary.rst
+++ b/Doc/glossary.rst
@@ -426,12 +426,13 @@ Glossary
       which describe this functionality.
 
    __future__
-      A pseudo-module which programmers can use to enable new language features
-      which are not compatible with the current interpreter.
-
-      By importing the :mod:`__future__` module and evaluating its variables,
-      you can see when a new feature was first added to the language and when it
-      becomes the default::
+      A :ref:`future statement <future>`, ``from __future__ import <feature>``,
+      directs the compiler to compile the current module using syntax or
+      semantics that will become standard in a future release of Python.
+      The :mod:`__future__` module documents the possible values of
+      *feature*.  By importing this module and evaluating its variables,
+      you can see when a new feature was first added to the language and
+      when it will (or did) become the default::
 
          >>> import __future__
          >>> __future__.division
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Documentation/2021-07-25-23-04-15.bpo-44693.JuCbNq.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Documentation/2021-07-25-23-04-15.bpo-44693.JuCbNq.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..614abb412df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Documentation/2021-07-25-23-04-15.bpo-44693.JuCbNq.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Update the definition of __future__ in the glossary by replacing the confusing
+word "pseudo-module" with a more accurate description.