diff --git a/doc/glossary.rst b/doc/glossary.rst
index c21bc98e54315..b75c3ae91cbb4 100644
--- a/doc/glossary.rst
+++ b/doc/glossary.rst
@@ -127,8 +127,9 @@ Glossary of Terms
       executing on the processor.
 
    kernel
-      The set of Zephyr-supplied files that implement the Zephyr kernel,
-      including its core services, device drivers, network stack, and so on.
+      The :term:`software component` in Zephyr that provides the
+      hardware-agnostic core of the RTOS, including booting, threading,
+      scheduling, synchronization, user mode, memory management and more.
 
    power domain
       A power domain is a collection of devices for which power is
@@ -169,9 +170,9 @@ Glossary of Terms
       features, and that the vendor typically names and markets together.
 
    software component
-      A software component is a self-contained, modular, and replaceable part of
-      the Zephyr source code. A driver, a subsystem or an applications are all
-      examples of software components present in Zephyr.
+      A software component is a well-defined and modular part of
+      the Zephyr source code. The kernel, a driver, a library, a subsystem or a
+      sample are all examples of software components present in Zephyr.
 
    subsystem
        A subsystem refers to a logically distinct part of the operating system
diff --git a/doc/introduction/index.rst b/doc/introduction/index.rst
index 173c4a75b645f..c006c5117e211 100644
--- a/doc/introduction/index.rst
+++ b/doc/introduction/index.rst
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@ The Zephyr kernel supports multiple architectures, including:
 
 The full list of supported boards based on these architectures can be found :ref:`here <boards>`.
 
-In the context of the Zephyr OS, a :term:`subsystem` refers to a logically distinct
+In the context of the Zephyr OS, a :term:`software component` refers to a logically distinct
 part of the operating system that handles specific functionality or provides
-certain services. Subsystems can include components such as networking,
+certain services. Zephyr contains software components such as networking,
 file systems, device driver classes, power management, and communication protocols,
-among others. Each subsystem is designed to be modular and can be configured,
+among others. Each software component is designed to be modular and can be configured,
 customized, and extended to meet the requirements of different embedded
 applications.
 
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ Zephyr offers a large and ever growing number of features including:
 
 **Native port**
   :zephyr:board:`Native sim <native_sim>` allows running Zephyr as a Linux application with support
-  for various subsystems and networking.
+  for most components, including networking.
 
 
 .. include:: ../../README.rst