diff --git a/Doc/library/functions.rst b/Doc/library/functions.rst
--- a/Doc/library/functions.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/functions.rst
@@ -629,14 +629,19 @@
    to provide elaborate line editing and history features.
 
 
-.. function:: int([number | string[, base]])
+.. function:: int(x=0)
+              int(x, base=10)
 
-   Convert a number or string to an integer.  If no arguments are given, return
-   ``0``.  If a number is given, return ``number.__int__()``.  Conversion of
-   floating point numbers to integers truncates towards zero.  A string must be
-   a base-radix integer literal optionally preceded by '+' or '-' (with no space
-   in between) and optionally surrounded by whitespace.  A base-n literal
-   consists of the digits 0 to n-1, with 'a' to 'z' (or 'A' to 'Z') having
+   Convert a number or string *x* to an integer, or return ``0`` if no
+   arguments are given.  If *x* is a number, return :meth:`x.__int__()
+   <object.__int__>`.  For floating point numbers, this truncates towards zero.
+
+   If *x* is not a number or if *base* is given, then *x* must be a string,
+   :class:`bytes`, or :class:`bytearray` instance representing an :ref:`integer
+   literal <integers>` in radix *base*.  Optionally, the literal can be
+   preceded by ``+`` or ``-`` (with no space in between) and surrounded by
+   whitespace.  A base-n literal consists of the digits 0 to n-1, with ``a``
+   to ``z`` (or ``A`` to ``Z``) having
    values 10 to 35.  The default *base* is 10. The allowed values are 0 and 2-36.
    Base-2, -8, and -16 literals can be optionally prefixed with ``0b``/``0B``,
    ``0o``/``0O``, or ``0x``/``0X``, as with integer literals in code.  Base 0