diff --git a/core/modules/system/system.install b/core/modules/system/system.install
index 45ae81360a..2d16953c52 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/system.install
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.install
@@ -1135,7 +1135,7 @@ function system_requirements($phase) {
       foreach ($package_modules as $module => $data) {
         $requirements[$module . '_update_last_removed'] = [
           'title' => t('Unsupported schema version: @module', ['@module' => $data['info']->info['name']]),
-          'description' => t('The installed version of the %module module is too old to update. Update to an earlier version first (last removed version: @last_removed_version, installed version: @installed_version).', [
+          'description' => t('The installed version of the %module module is too old to update. Update to an intermediate version first (last removed version: @last_removed_version, installed version: @installed_version).', [
             '%module' => $data['info']->info['name'],
             '@last_removed_version' => $data['last_removed'],
             '@installed_version' => $data['installed_version'],
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/src/Functional/UpdateSystem/UpdatePathLastRemovedTest.php b/core/modules/system/tests/src/Functional/UpdateSystem/UpdatePathLastRemovedTest.php
index 4fe0e0fdff..3bf7a5f934 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/tests/src/Functional/UpdateSystem/UpdatePathLastRemovedTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/src/Functional/UpdateSystem/UpdatePathLastRemovedTest.php
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public function testLastRemovedVersion() {
     $assert_session = $this->assertSession();
     $assert_session->pageTextContains('Requirements problem');
     $assert_session->pageTextContains('Unsupported schema version: Update test with update_last_removed implementation');
-    $assert_session->pageTextContains('The installed version of the Update test with update_last_removed implementation module is too old to update. Update to an earlier version first (last removed version: 8002, installed version: 8000).');
+    $assert_session->pageTextContains('The installed version of the Update test with update_last_removed implementation module is too old to update. Update to an intermediate version first (last removed version: 8002, installed version: 8000).');
     $assert_session->linkNotExists('Continue');
 
     // Set the expected schema version, updates are successful now.