diff --git a/Lib/random.py b/Lib/random.py
--- a/Lib/random.py
+++ b/Lib/random.py
@@ -165,18 +165,19 @@
 
 ## -------------------- integer methods  -------------------
 
-    def randrange(self, start, stop=None, step=1, int=int):
+    def randrange(self, start, stop=None, step=1, _int=int):
         """Choose a random item from range(start, stop[, step]).
 
         This fixes the problem with randint() which includes the
         endpoint; in Python this is usually not what you want.
 
-        Do not supply the 'int' argument.
+        Do not supply the '_int' argument. It is defaulted to int built-in at
+        function definition time, purely for optimization purposes.
         """
 
         # This code is a bit messy to make it fast for the
         # common case while still doing adequate error checking.
-        istart = int(start)
+        istart = _int(start)
         if istart != start:
             raise ValueError("non-integer arg 1 for randrange()")
         if stop is None:
@@ -185,7 +186,7 @@
             raise ValueError("empty range for randrange()")
 
         # stop argument supplied.
-        istop = int(stop)
+        istop = _int(stop)
         if istop != stop:
             raise ValueError("non-integer stop for randrange()")
         width = istop - istart
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@
             raise ValueError("empty range for randrange() (%d,%d, %d)" % (istart, istop, width))
 
         # Non-unit step argument supplied.
-        istep = int(step)
+        istep = _int(step)
         if istep != step:
             raise ValueError("non-integer step for randrange()")
         if istep > 0:
@@ -216,7 +217,7 @@
 
         return self.randrange(a, b+1)
 
-    def _randbelow(self, n, int=int, maxsize=1<<BPF, type=type,
+    def _randbelow(self, n, _int=int, maxsize=1<<BPF, type=type,
                    Method=_MethodType, BuiltinMethod=_BuiltinMethodType):
         "Return a random int in the range [0,n).  Raises ValueError if n==0."
 
@@ -236,7 +237,7 @@
             _warn("Underlying random() generator does not supply \n"
                 "enough bits to choose from a population range this large.\n"
                 "To remove the range limitation, add a getrandbits() method.")
-            return int(random() * n)
+            return _int(random() * n)
         rem = maxsize % n
         limit = (maxsize - rem) / maxsize   # int(limit * maxsize) % n == 0
         r = random()
@@ -254,20 +255,21 @@
             raise IndexError('Cannot choose from an empty sequence')
         return seq[i]
 
-    def shuffle(self, x, random=None, int=int):
+    def shuffle(self, x, random=None, _int=int):
         """Shuffle list x in place, and return None.
 
         Optional argument random is a 0-argument function returning a
         random float in [0.0, 1.0); if it is the default None, the
         standard random.random will be used.
 
-        Do not supply the 'int' argument.
+        Do not supply the '_int' argument. It is defaulted to int built-in at
+        function definition time, purely for optimization purposes.
         """
 
         randbelow = self._randbelow
         for i in reversed(range(1, len(x))):
             # pick an element in x[:i+1] with which to exchange x[i]
-            j = randbelow(i+1) if random is None else int(random() * (i+1))
+            j = randbelow(i+1) if random is None else _int(random() * (i+1))
             x[i], x[j] = x[j], x[i]
 
     def sample(self, population, k):