diff --git a/changelog.d/14417.misc b/changelog.d/14417.misc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7527fe97c21e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/14417.misc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Update docstring to clarify that `get_partial_state_events_batch` does not just give you completely arbitrary partial-state events.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/synapse/storage/databases/main/events_worker.py b/synapse/storage/databases/main/events_worker.py
index a79091952a56..467d20253d92 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/databases/main/events_worker.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/databases/main/events_worker.py
@@ -2235,7 +2235,15 @@ async def is_partial_state_event(self, event_id: str) -> bool:
         return result is not None
 
     async def get_partial_state_events_batch(self, room_id: str) -> List[str]:
-        """Get a list of events in the given room that have partial state"""
+        """
+        Get a list of events in the given room that:
+        - have partial state; and
+        - are ready to be resynced (because they have no prev_events that are
+          partial-stated)
+
+        See the docstring on `_get_partial_state_events_batch_txn` for more
+        information.
+        """
         return await self.db_pool.runInteraction(
             "get_partial_state_events_batch",
             self._get_partial_state_events_batch_txn,