diff --git a/guidelines/sc/21/status-messages.html b/guidelines/sc/21/status-messages.html
index 592942f784..46826a9fdd 100644
--- a/guidelines/sc/21/status-messages.html
+++ b/guidelines/sc/21/status-messages.html
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 <section id="status-messages" class="sc">
-   					
    <h4>Status Messages</h4>
-   					
    <p class="conformance-level">AA</p>
-   					
-   <p>In content implemented using markup languages, <a>status messages</a> can be <a>programmatically determined</a> through <a>role</a> or properties such that they can be presented to the user by <a>assistive technologies</a> without receiving focus.</p>
-   				
+   <p>In technologies that support it, <a>status messages</a> that appear dynamically (without a <a>change of context</a>) can be <a>programmatically determined</a> without receiving focus, so that they can be presented to the user by <a>assistive technologies</a>.</p>
 </section>
diff --git a/guidelines/terms/21/status-message.html b/guidelines/terms/21/status-message.html
index 95094991ef..89b40b5fbd 100644
--- a/guidelines/terms/21/status-message.html
+++ b/guidelines/terms/21/status-message.html
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 <dt><dfn id="dfn-status-messages" data-lt="status messages">status message</dfn></dt>
 <dd>
-   					
-   <p>change in content that is not a <a>change of context</a>, and that provides information to the user on the success or results of an action, on the waiting state of an application, on the progress of a <a>process</a>, or on the existence of errors</p>
-   
+   <p>discrete piece of content whose only purpose is to provide information to the user on the results of an action, the waiting state of an application, the progress or completion of a <a>process</a>, or the existence of errors</p>
 </dd>