diff --git a/Doc/library/unittest.mock.rst b/Doc/library/unittest.mock.rst
index d8ba24c3146cf2..01206e05f4ba01 100644
--- a/Doc/library/unittest.mock.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/unittest.mock.rst
@@ -1624,7 +1624,8 @@ patch.dict
 .. function:: patch.dict(in_dict, values=(), clear=False, **kwargs)
 
     Patch a dictionary, or dictionary like object, and restore the dictionary
-    to its original state after the test.
+    to its original state after the test, where the restored dictionary is a
+    copy of the dictionary as it was before the test.
 
     *in_dict* can be a dictionary or a mapping like container. If it is a
     mapping then it must at least support getting, setting and deleting items
diff --git a/Lib/unittest/mock.py b/Lib/unittest/mock.py
index d50535dffeb5d1..2bbbcf40e21543 100644
--- a/Lib/unittest/mock.py
+++ b/Lib/unittest/mock.py
@@ -1829,7 +1829,8 @@ def patch(
 class _patch_dict(object):
     """
     Patch a dictionary, or dictionary like object, and restore the dictionary
-    to its original state after the test.
+    to its original state after the test, where the restored dictionary is
+    a copy of the dictionary as it was before the test.
 
     `in_dict` can be a dictionary or a mapping like container. If it is a
     mapping then it must at least support getting, setting and deleting items
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Documentation/2024-07-14-12-25-53.gh-issue-117765.YFMOUv.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Documentation/2024-07-14-12-25-53.gh-issue-117765.YFMOUv.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..a727c1aa9a0571
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Documentation/2024-07-14-12-25-53.gh-issue-117765.YFMOUv.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Improved documentation for :func:`unittest.mock.patch.dict`