diff --git a/include/linux/pinctrl/pinctrl-state.h b/include/linux/pinctrl/pinctrl-state.h
index 634608dc6c89..b5919f8e6d1a 100644
--- a/include/linux/pinctrl/pinctrl-state.h
+++ b/include/linux/pinctrl/pinctrl-state.h
@@ -6,13 +6,18 @@
  * @PINCTRL_STATE_DEFAULT: the state the pinctrl handle shall be put
  *	into as default, usually this means the pins are up and ready to
  *	be used by the device driver. This state is commonly used by
- *	hogs to configure muxing and pins at boot.
+ *	hogs to configure muxing and pins at boot, and also as a state
+ *	to go into when returning from sleep and idle in
+ *	.pm_runtime_resume() or ordinary .resume() for example.
  * @PINCTRL_STATE_IDLE: the state the pinctrl handle shall be put into
- *	when the pins are idle. Could typically be set from a
- *	pm_runtime_suspend() operation.
+ *	when the pins are idle. This is a state where the system is relaxed
+ *	but not fully sleeping - some power may be on but clocks gated for
+ *	example. Could typically be set from a pm_runtime_suspend() or
+ *	pm_runtime_idle() operation.
  * @PINCTRL_STATE_SLEEP: the state the pinctrl handle shall be put into
- *	when the pins are sleeping. Could typically be set from a
- *	common suspend() function.
+ *	when the pins are sleeping. This is a state where the system is in
+ *	its lowest sleep state. Could typically be set from an
+ *	ordinary .suspend() function.
  */
 #define PINCTRL_STATE_DEFAULT "default"
 #define PINCTRL_STATE_IDLE "idle"