diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/Bean.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/Bean.java
index 2763560088..8cbaa0da3b 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/Bean.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/Bean.java
@@ -198,6 +198,13 @@ public @interface Bean {
 
 	/**
 	 * Are dependencies to be injected via convention-based autowiring by name or type?
+	 * <p>Note that this autowire mode is just about externally driven autowiring based
+	 * on bean property setter methods by convention, analogous to XML bean definitions.
+	 * <p>The default mode does allow for annotation-driven autowiring. "no" refers to
+	 * externally driven autowiring only, not affecting any autowiring demands that the
+	 * bean class itself expresses through annotations.
+	 * @see Autowire#BY_NAME
+	 * @see Autowire#BY_TYPE
 	 */
 	Autowire autowire() default Autowire.NO;