diff --git a/Doc/c-api/structures.rst b/Doc/c-api/structures.rst
index da45da1d3c70db..f1a76f33c2a079 100644
--- a/Doc/c-api/structures.rst
+++ b/Doc/c-api/structures.rst
@@ -290,11 +290,11 @@ definition with the same method name.
    handles use of the :keyword:`del` statement on that attribute more correctly
    than :c:macro:`T_OBJECT`.
 
-   :attr:`flags` can be ``0`` for write and read access or :c:macro:`READONLY` for
-   read-only access.  Using :c:macro:`T_STRING` for :attr:`type` implies
-   :c:macro:`READONLY`.  :c:macro:`T_STRING` data is interpreted as UTF-8.
-   Only :c:macro:`T_OBJECT` and :c:macro:`T_OBJECT_EX`
-   members can be deleted.  (They are set to *NULL*).
+   :attr:`flags` can be ``0`` for write and read access (also represented by the
+   :c:macro:`PY_READWRITE`) or or :c:macro:`PY_READONLY` for read-only access.
+   Using :c:macro:`T_STRING` for :attr:`type` implies :c:macro:`PY_READONLY`.
+   :c:macro:`T_STRING` data is interpreted as UTF-8.  Only :c:macro:`T_OBJECT`
+   and :c:macro:`T_OBJECT_EX` members can be deleted.  (They are set to *NULL*).
 
 
 .. c:type:: PyGetSetDef
diff --git a/Doc/extending/newtypes.rst b/Doc/extending/newtypes.rst
index 8b9549d7e39e2e..4080f6dd91b490 100644
--- a/Doc/extending/newtypes.rst
+++ b/Doc/extending/newtypes.rst
@@ -282,23 +282,30 @@ store flags which control how the attribute can be accessed.
 The following flag constants are defined in :file:`structmember.h`; they may be
 combined using bitwise-OR.
 
-+---------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
-| Constant                  | Meaning                                      |
-+===========================+==============================================+
-| :const:`READONLY`         | Never writable.                              |
-+---------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
-| :const:`READ_RESTRICTED`  | Not readable in restricted mode.             |
-+---------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
-| :const:`WRITE_RESTRICTED` | Not writable in restricted mode.             |
-+---------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
-| :const:`RESTRICTED`       | Not readable or writable in restricted mode. |
-+---------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
++------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+---------------------------+
+| Constant                     | Meaning                                      | Former Constant           |
++==============================+==============================================+===========================+
+| :const:`PY_READWRITE`        | Writable.                                    | 0                         |
++------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+---------------------------+
+| :const:`PY_READONLY`         | Never writable.                              | :const:`READONLY`         |
++------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+---------------------------+
+| :const:`PY_READ_RESTRICTED`  | Not readable in restricted mode.             | :const:`READ_RESTRICTED`  |
++------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+---------------------------+
+| :const:`PY_WRITE_RESTRICTED` | Not writable in restricted mode.             | :const:`WRITE_RESTRICTED` |
++------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+---------------------------+
+| :const:`PY_RESTRICTED`       | Not readable or writable in restricted mode. | :const:`RESTRICTED`       |
++------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+---------------------------+
 
 .. index::
    single: READONLY
    single: READ_RESTRICTED
    single: WRITE_RESTRICTED
    single: RESTRICTED
+   single: PY_READWRITE
+   single: PY_READONLY
+   single: PY_READ_RESTRICTED
+   single: PY_WRITE_RESTRICTED
+   single: PY_RESTRICTED
 
 An interesting advantage of using the :c:member:`~PyTypeObject.tp_members` table to build
 descriptors that are used at runtime is that any attribute defined this way can
diff --git a/Include/structmember.h b/Include/structmember.h
index b54f7081f458dd..55b70293b9ac8c 100644
--- a/Include/structmember.h
+++ b/Include/structmember.h
@@ -57,11 +57,19 @@ typedef struct PyMemberDef {
 
 
 /* Flags */
-#define READONLY            1
-#define READ_RESTRICTED     2
-#define PY_WRITE_RESTRICTED 4
-#define RESTRICTED          (READ_RESTRICTED | PY_WRITE_RESTRICTED)
-
+enum {
+    PY_READWRITE = 0,
+    PY_READONLY = 1,
+    PY_READ_RESTRICTED = 2,
+    PY_WRITE_RESTRICTED = 4,
+    PY_RESTRICTED = (PY_READ_RESTRICTED | PY_WRITE_RESTRICTED),
+
+    // Flags for backward-compatibility
+    READONLY Py_DEPRECATED(3.8) = PY_READONLY,
+    READWRITE Py_DEPRECATED(3.8) = PY_READWRITE,
+    READ_RESTRICTED Py_DEPRECATED(3.8) = PY_READ_RESTRICTED,
+    RESTRICTED Py_DEPRECATED(3.8) = PY_RESTRICTED
+};
 
 /* Current API, use this */
 PyAPI_FUNC(PyObject *) PyMember_GetOne(const char *, struct PyMemberDef *);