diff --git a/command/apply.go b/command/apply.go
index c65b2df5178f..bffddd826a63 100644
--- a/command/apply.go
+++ b/command/apply.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ type ApplyCommand struct {
 }
 
 func (c *ApplyCommand) Run(args []string) int {
-	var destroyForce, refresh, autoApprove bool
+	var destroyForce, refresh, applyForce bool
 	args, err := c.Meta.process(args, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		return 1
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func (c *ApplyCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 	}
 	cmdFlags.BoolVar(&refresh, "refresh", true, "refresh")
 	if !c.Destroy {
-		cmdFlags.BoolVar(&autoApprove, "auto-approve", false, "skip interactive approval of plan before applying")
+		cmdFlags.BoolVar(&applyForce, "force", false, "do not ask for input to approve plan before applying")
 	}
 	cmdFlags.IntVar(
 		&c.Meta.parallelism, "parallelism", DefaultParallelism, "parallelism")
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func (c *ApplyCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 	opReq.Plan = plan
 	opReq.PlanRefresh = refresh
 	opReq.Type = backend.OperationTypeApply
-	opReq.AutoApprove = autoApprove
+	opReq.AutoApprove = applyForce
 	opReq.DestroyForce = destroyForce
 
 	// Perform the operation
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ Options:
 
   -lock-timeout=0s       Duration to retry a state lock.
 
-  -auto-approve          Skip interactive approval of plan before applying.
+  -force                 Don't ask for input to approve plan before applying.
 
   -input=true            Ask for input for variables if not directly set.
 
diff --git a/command/apply_test.go b/command/apply_test.go
index 968f8595f57e..b5cf383942b3 100644
--- a/command/apply_test.go
+++ b/command/apply_test.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func TestApply(t *testing.T) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", statePath,
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		testFixturePath("apply"),
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code != 0 {
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func TestApply_lockedState(t *testing.T) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", statePath,
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		testFixturePath("apply"),
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code == 0 {
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ func TestApply_lockedStateWait(t *testing.T) {
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", statePath,
 		"-lock-timeout", "4s",
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		testFixturePath("apply"),
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code != 0 {
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ func TestApply_parallelism(t *testing.T) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", statePath,
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		fmt.Sprintf("-parallelism=%d", par),
 		testFixturePath("parallelism"),
 	}
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ func TestApply_configInvalid(t *testing.T) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", testTempFile(t),
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		testFixturePath("apply-config-invalid"),
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code != 1 {
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ func TestApply_defaultState(t *testing.T) {
 	serial := localState.State().Serial
 
 	args := []string{
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		testFixturePath("apply"),
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code != 0 {
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ func TestApply_error(t *testing.T) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", statePath,
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		testFixturePath("apply-error"),
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code != 1 {
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ func TestApply_input(t *testing.T) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", statePath,
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		testFixturePath("apply-input"),
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code != 0 {
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ func TestApply_inputPartial(t *testing.T) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", statePath,
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		"-var", "foo=foovalue",
 		testFixturePath("apply-input-partial"),
 	}
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ func TestApply_noArgs(t *testing.T) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", statePath,
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code != 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("bad: %d\n\n%s", code, ui.ErrorWriter.String())
@@ -793,7 +793,7 @@ func TestApply_refresh(t *testing.T) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", statePath,
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		testFixturePath("apply"),
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code != 0 {
@@ -877,7 +877,7 @@ func TestApply_shutdown(t *testing.T) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", statePath,
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		testFixturePath("apply-shutdown"),
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code != 0 {
@@ -937,7 +937,7 @@ func TestApply_state(t *testing.T) {
 	// Run the apply command pointing to our existing state
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", statePath,
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		testFixturePath("apply"),
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code != 0 {
@@ -1012,7 +1012,7 @@ func TestApply_sensitiveOutput(t *testing.T) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", statePath,
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		testFixturePath("apply-sensitive-output"),
 	}
 
@@ -1045,7 +1045,7 @@ func TestApply_stateFuture(t *testing.T) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", statePath,
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		testFixturePath("apply"),
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code == 0 {
@@ -1077,7 +1077,7 @@ func TestApply_statePast(t *testing.T) {
 
 	args := []string{
 		"-state", statePath,
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		testFixturePath("apply"),
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code != 0 {
@@ -1110,7 +1110,7 @@ func TestApply_vars(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	args := []string{
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		"-var", "foo=bar",
 		"-state", statePath,
 		testFixturePath("apply-vars"),
@@ -1154,7 +1154,7 @@ func TestApply_varFile(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	args := []string{
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		"-var-file", varFilePath,
 		"-state", statePath,
 		testFixturePath("apply-vars"),
@@ -1208,7 +1208,7 @@ func TestApply_varFileDefault(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	args := []string{
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		"-state", statePath,
 		testFixturePath("apply-vars"),
 	}
@@ -1261,7 +1261,7 @@ func TestApply_varFileDefaultJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	args := []string{
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		"-state", statePath,
 		testFixturePath("apply-vars"),
 	}
@@ -1314,7 +1314,7 @@ func TestApply_backup(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Run the apply command pointing to our existing state
 	args := []string{
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		"-state", statePath,
 		"-backup", backupPath,
 		testFixturePath("apply"),
@@ -1365,7 +1365,7 @@ func TestApply_disableBackup(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Run the apply command pointing to our existing state
 	args := []string{
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		"-state", statePath,
 		"-backup", "-",
 		testFixturePath("apply"),
@@ -1424,7 +1424,7 @@ func TestApply_terraformEnv(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	args := []string{
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		"-state", statePath,
 		testFixturePath("apply-terraform-env"),
 	}
@@ -1480,7 +1480,7 @@ func TestApply_terraformEnvNonDefault(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	args := []string{
-		"-auto-approve",
+		"-force",
 		testFixturePath("apply-terraform-env"),
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code != 0 {
diff --git a/command/e2etest/automation_test.go b/command/e2etest/automation_test.go
index 8c51f381b962..9a9dcb75ba63 100644
--- a/command/e2etest/automation_test.go
+++ b/command/e2etest/automation_test.go
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ func TestAutoApplyInAutomation(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	//// APPLY
-	stdout, stderr, err = tf.Run("apply", "-input=false", "-auto-approve")
+	stdout, stderr, err = tf.Run("apply", "-input=false", "-force")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected apply error: %s\nstderr:\n%s", err, stderr)
 	}
diff --git a/website/docs/commands/apply.html.markdown b/website/docs/commands/apply.html.markdown
index f8a63746dc76..b5722ffb19f8 100644
--- a/website/docs/commands/apply.html.markdown
+++ b/website/docs/commands/apply.html.markdown
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ The command-line flags are all optional. The list of available flags are:
 
 * `-input=true` - Ask for input for variables if not directly set.
 
-* `-auto-approve` - Skip interactive approval of plan before applying.
+* `-force` - Don't ask for input to approve plan before applying.
 
 * `-no-color` - Disables output with coloring.
 
diff --git a/website/guides/running-terraform-in-automation.html.md b/website/guides/running-terraform-in-automation.html.md
index 0493b0c8efbf..32fcdc14518d 100644
--- a/website/guides/running-terraform-in-automation.html.md
+++ b/website/guides/running-terraform-in-automation.html.md
@@ -174,10 +174,10 @@ Where manual approval is not required, a simpler sequence of commands
 can be used:
 
 * `terraform init -input=false`
-* `terraform apply -input=false -auto-approve`
+* `terraform apply -input=false -force`
 
 This variant of the `apply` command implicitly creates a new plan and then
-immediately applies it. The `-auto-approve` option tells Terraform not
+immediately applies it. The `-force` option tells Terraform not
 to require interactive approval of the plan before applying it.
 
 ~> When Terraform is empowered to make destructive changes to infrastructure,
diff --git a/website/upgrade-guides/0-11.html.markdown b/website/upgrade-guides/0-11.html.markdown
index fd20aced7876..eeca6ae1f9ee 100644
--- a/website/upgrade-guides/0-11.html.markdown
+++ b/website/upgrade-guides/0-11.html.markdown
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ default unless a plan file is provided on the command line. When
 it is always recommended to separate plan from apply, but if existing automation
 was running `terraform apply` with no arguments it may now be necessary to
 update it to either generate an explicit plan using `terraform plan -out=...`
-or to run `terraform apply -auto-approve` to bypass the interactive confirmation
+or to run `terraform apply -force` to bypass the interactive confirmation
 step. The latter should be done only in unimportant environments.
 
 **Action:** For interactive use in a terminal, prefer to use `terraform apply`
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ followed by `terraform apply tfplan`.
 
 **Action:** Update any automation scripts that run Terraform non-interactively
 so that they either use separated plan and apply or override the confirmation
-behavior using the `-auto-approve` option.
+behavior using the `-force` option.
 
 ## Relative Paths in Module `source`