diff --git a/src/bin/cargo/commands/owner.rs b/src/bin/cargo/commands/owner.rs
index b6f774a0be8..09a76b96bb9 100644
--- a/src/bin/cargo/commands/owner.rs
+++ b/src/bin/cargo/commands/owner.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ pub fn cli() -> App {
     subcommand("owner")
         .about("Manage the owners of a crate on the registry")
         .arg(Arg::with_name("crate"))
-        .arg(multi_opt("add", "LOGIN", "Name of a user or team to add as an owner").short("a"))
+        .arg(multi_opt("add", "LOGIN", "Name of a user or team to invite as an owner").short("a"))
         .arg(
             multi_opt(
                 "remove",
diff --git a/src/doc/man/cargo-owner.adoc b/src/doc/man/cargo-owner.adoc
index f83542faabc..63e6e309d1b 100644
--- a/src/doc/man/cargo-owner.adoc
+++ b/src/doc/man/cargo-owner.adoc
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ information about owners and publishing.
 
 *-a*::
 *--add* _LOGIN_...::
-    Add the given user or team as an owner.
+    Invite the given user or team as an owner.
 
 *-r*::
 *--remove* _LOGIN_...::
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ include::section-exit-status.adoc[]
 
     cargo owner --list foo
 
-. Add an owner to a package:
+. Invite an owner to a package:
 
     cargo owner --add username foo
 
diff --git a/src/doc/man/generated/cargo-owner.html b/src/doc/man/generated/cargo-owner.html
index 00381856dba..41624a0f588 100644
--- a/src/doc/man/generated/cargo-owner.html
+++ b/src/doc/man/generated/cargo-owner.html
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ <h3 id="cargo_owner_owner_options">Owner Options</h3>
 <dt class="hdlist1"><strong>-a</strong></dt>
 <dt class="hdlist1"><strong>--add</strong> <em>LOGIN</em>&#8230;&#8203;</dt>
 <dd>
-<p>Add the given user or team as an owner.</p>
+<p>Invite the given user or team as an owner.</p>
 </dd>
 <dt class="hdlist1"><strong>-r</strong></dt>
 <dt class="hdlist1"><strong>--remove</strong> <em>LOGIN</em>&#8230;&#8203;</dt>
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ <h2 id="cargo_owner_examples">EXAMPLES</h2>
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
-<p>Add an owner to a package:</p>
+<p>Invite an owner to a package:</p>
 <div class="literalblock">
 <div class="content">
 <pre>cargo owner --add username foo</pre>
diff --git a/src/doc/src/reference/publishing.md b/src/doc/src/reference/publishing.md
index 79cf9c28856..c8bafb20944 100644
--- a/src/doc/src/reference/publishing.md
+++ b/src/doc/src/reference/publishing.md
@@ -151,21 +151,21 @@ $ cargo owner --remove github:rust-lang:owners
 
 The owner IDs given to these commands must be GitHub user names or GitHub teams.
 
-If a user name is given to `--add`, that user becomes a “named” owner, with
+If a user name is given to `--add`, that user is invited as a “named” owner, with
 full rights to the crate. In addition to being able to publish or yank versions
 of the crate, they have the ability to add or remove owners, *including* the
 owner that made *them* an owner. Needless to say, you shouldn’t make people you
 don’t fully trust into a named owner. In order to become a named owner, a user
 must have logged into [crates.io] previously.
 
-If a team name is given to `--add`, that team becomes a “team” owner, with
+If a team name is given to `--add`, that team is invited as a “team” owner, with
 restricted right to the crate. While they have permission to publish or yank
 versions of the crate, they *do not* have the ability to add or remove owners.
 In addition to being more convenient for managing groups of owners, teams are
 just a bit more secure against owners becoming malicious.
 
 The syntax for teams is currently `github:org:team` (see examples above).
-In order to add a team as an owner one must be a member of that team. No
+In order to invite a team as an owner one must be a member of that team. No
 such restriction applies to removing a team as an owner.
 
 ### GitHub permissions
diff --git a/src/etc/man/cargo-owner.1 b/src/etc/man/cargo-owner.1
index 6dcebdb7991..666e746dff7 100644
--- a/src/etc/man/cargo-owner.1
+++ b/src/etc/man/cargo-owner.1
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ information about owners and publishing.
 .sp
 \fB\-a\fP, \fB\-\-add\fP \fILOGIN\fP...
 .RS 4
-Add the given user or team as an owner.
+Invite the given user or team as an owner.
 .RE
 .sp
 \fB\-r\fP, \fB\-\-remove\fP \fILOGIN\fP...
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ cargo owner \-\-list foo
 .  sp -1
 .  IP " 2." 4.2
 .\}
-Add an owner to a package:
+Invite an owner to a package:
 .sp
 .if n .RS 4
 .nf