diff --git a/src/widgets/styles/qstyleoption.cpp b/src/widgets/styles/qstyleoption.cpp
index 3666bce205..774c039ecc 100644
--- a/src/widgets/styles/qstyleoption.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/styles/qstyleoption.cpp
@@ -1842,10 +1842,12 @@ QStyleOptionMenuItem::QStyleOptionMenuItem(int version)
 
 /*!
     \variable QStyleOptionMenuItem::tabWidth
-    \brief the tab width for the menu item
+    \brief the reserved width for the menu item's shortcut
 
-    The tab width is the distance between the text of the menu item
-    and the shortcut. The default value is 0.
+    QMenu sets it to the width occupied by the widest shortcut among
+    all visible items within the menu.
+
+    The default value is 0.
 */
 
 
diff --git a/src/widgets/styles/qstyleoption.h b/src/widgets/styles/qstyleoption.h
index 2880917510..241399543b 100644
--- a/src/widgets/styles/qstyleoption.h
+++ b/src/widgets/styles/qstyleoption.h
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ public:
     QString text;
     QIcon icon;
     int maxIconWidth;
-    int tabWidth;
+    int tabWidth; // ### Qt 6: rename to reservedShortcutWidth
     QFont font;
 
     QStyleOptionMenuItem();