diff --git a/bin/chmod/chmod.1 b/bin/chmod/chmod.1
index e2bac644d4e..e6a5ff8f63c 100644
--- a/bin/chmod/chmod.1
+++ b/bin/chmod/chmod.1
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ If no value is supplied for
 each permission bit specified in
 .Ar perm ,
 for which the corresponding bit in the file mode creation mask
-is clear, is cleared.
+is set, is cleared.
 Otherwise, the mode bits represented by the specified
 .Ar who
 and