diff --git a/doc/api/child_process.md b/doc/api/child_process.md
index 2859930c730626..a8baf56c69b2ba 100644
--- a/doc/api/child_process.md
+++ b/doc/api/child_process.md
@@ -904,10 +904,11 @@ added: v0.5.10
 -->
 
 * {boolean} Set to `true` after `subprocess.kill()` is used to successfully
-  terminate the child process.
+  send a signal to the child process.
 
-The `subprocess.killed` property indicates whether the child process was
-successfully terminated using `subprocess.kill()`.
+The `subprocess.killed` property indicates whether the child process
+successfully received a signal from `subprocess.kill()`. The `killed` property
+does not indicate that the child process has been terminated.
 
 <a name="child_process_child_pid"></a>
 ### subprocess.pid