diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/access/expression/SecurityExpressionOperations.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/access/expression/SecurityExpressionOperations.java
index a710eb9475..61f8f7749f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/access/expression/SecurityExpressionOperations.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/access/expression/SecurityExpressionOperations.java
@@ -12,30 +12,91 @@ import org.springframework.security.core.Authentication;
  */
 public interface SecurityExpressionOperations {
 
+    /**
+     * Gets the {@link Authentication} used for evaluating the expressions
+     * @return the {@link Authentication} for evaluating the expressions
+     */
     Authentication getAuthentication();
 
+    /**
+     * Determines if the {@link #getAuthentication()} has a particular authority within {@link Authentication#getAuthorities()}. This is a synonym for {@link #hasAuthority(String)}.
+     * @param authority the authority to test (i.e. "ROLE_USER")
+     * @return true if the authority is found, else false
+     */
     boolean hasAuthority(String authority);
 
+    /**
+     * Determines if the {@link #getAuthentication()} has any of the specified authorities within {@link Authentication#getAuthorities()}. This is a synonym for {@link #hasAnyRole(String...)}.
+     * @param authorities the authorities to test (i.e. "ROLE_USER", "ROLE_ADMIN")
+     * @return true if any of the authorities is found, else false
+     */
     boolean hasAnyAuthority(String... authorities);
 
+    /**
+     * Determines if the {@link #getAuthentication()} has a particular authority within {@link Authentication#getAuthorities()}. This is a synonym for {@link #hasAuthority(String)}.
+     * @param authority the authority to test (i.e. "ROLE_USER")
+     * @return true if the authority is found, else false
+     */
     boolean hasRole(String role);
 
+    /**
+     * Determines if the {@link #getAuthentication()} has any of the specified authorities within {@link Authentication#getAuthorities()}. This is a synonym for {@link #hasAnyAuthority(String...)}.
+     * @param authorities the authorities to test (i.e. "ROLE_USER", "ROLE_ADMIN")
+     * @return true if any of the authorities is found, else false
+     */
     boolean hasAnyRole(String... roles);
 
+    /**
+     * Always grants access.
+     * @return true
+     */
     boolean permitAll();
 
+    /**
+     * Always denies access
+     * @return false
+     */
     boolean denyAll();
 
+    /**
+     * Determines if the {@link #getAuthentication()} is anonymous
+     * @return true if the user is anonymous, else false
+     */
     boolean isAnonymous();
 
+    /**
+     * Determines ifthe {@link #getAuthentication()} is authenticated
+     * @return true if the {@link #getAuthentication()} is authenticated, else false
+     */
     boolean isAuthenticated();
 
+    /**
+     * Determines if the {@link #getAuthentication()} was authenticated using remember me
+     * @return true if the {@link #getAuthentication()} authenticated using remember me, else false
+     */
     boolean isRememberMe();
 
+    /**
+     * Determines if the {@link #getAuthentication()} authenticated without the use of remember me
+     * @return true if the {@link #getAuthentication()} authenticated without the use of remember me, else false
+     */
     boolean isFullyAuthenticated();
 
+    /**
+     * Determines if the {@link #getAuthentication()} has permission to access the target given the permission
+     * @param target the target domain object to check permission on
+     * @param permission the permission to check on the domain object (i.e. "read", "write", etc).
+     * @return true if permission is granted to the {@link #getAuthentication()}, else false
+     */
     boolean hasPermission(Object target, Object permission);
 
+    /**
+     * Determines if the {@link #getAuthentication()} has permission to access the domain object with a given id, type, and permission.
+     * @param targetId the identifier of the domain object to determine access
+     * @param targetType the type (i.e. com.example.domain.Message)
+     * @param permission the perission to check on the domain object (i.e. "read", "write", etc)
+     * @return true if permission is granted to the {@link #getAuthentication()}, else false
+     */
     boolean hasPermission(Object targetId, String targetType, Object permission);
 
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/access/expression/SecurityExpressionRoot.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/access/expression/SecurityExpressionRoot.java
index 49fb22b6a8..fe0a08c463 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/access/expression/SecurityExpressionRoot.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/access/expression/SecurityExpressionRoot.java
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Set;
 
-import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.security.access.PermissionEvaluator;
 import org.springframework.security.access.hierarchicalroles.RoleHierarchy;
 import org.springframework.security.authentication.AuthenticationTrustResolver;
@@ -38,11 +37,15 @@ public abstract class SecurityExpressionRoot implements SecurityExpressionOperat
     public final String delete = "delete";
     public final String admin = "administration";
 
-    public SecurityExpressionRoot(Authentication a) {
-        if (a == null) {
+    /**
+     * Creates a new instance
+     * @param authentication the {@link Authentication} to use. Cannot be null.
+     */
+    public SecurityExpressionRoot(Authentication authentication) {
+        if (authentication == null) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Authentication object cannot be null");
         }
-        this.authentication = a;
+        this.authentication = authentication;
     }
 
     public final boolean hasAuthority(String authority) {
@@ -97,6 +100,10 @@ public abstract class SecurityExpressionRoot implements SecurityExpressionOperat
         return !trustResolver.isAnonymous(authentication) && !trustResolver.isRememberMe(authentication);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Convenience method to access {@link Authentication#getPrincipal()} from {@link #getAuthentication()}
+     * @return
+     */
     public Object getPrincipal() {
         return authentication.getPrincipal();
     }
diff --git a/docs/manual/src/asciidoc/index.adoc b/docs/manual/src/asciidoc/index.adoc
index 714374a9d5..2a24056be1 100644
--- a/docs/manual/src/asciidoc/index.adoc
+++ b/docs/manual/src/asciidoc/index.adoc
@@ -4089,10 +4089,16 @@ The base class for expression root objects is `SecurityExpressionRoot`. This pro
 | Expression | Description
 
 | `hasRole([role])`
-| Returns `true` if the current principal has the specified role.
+| Returns `true` if the current principal has the specified role. This is a synonym for `hasAuthority([authority])`
 
 | `hasAnyRole([role1,role2])`
-| Returns `true` if the current principal has any of the supplied roles (given as a comma-separated list of strings)
+| Returns `true` if the current principal has any of the supplied roles (given as a comma-separated list of strings) This is a synonym for `hasAnyAuthority([authority1,authority2])`
+
+| `hasAuthority([authority])`
+| Returns `true` if the current principal has the specified authority. This is a synonym for `hasRole([role])`
+
+| `hasAnyAuthority([authority1,authority2])`
+| Returns `true` if the current principal has any of the supplied roles (given as a comma-separated list of strings) `hasAnyRole([role1,role2])``hasAnyRole([role1,role2])`
 
 | `principal`
 | Allows direct access to the principal object representing the current user
@@ -4117,6 +4123,12 @@ The base class for expression root objects is `SecurityExpressionRoot`. This pro
 
 | `isFullyAuthenticated()`
 | Returns `true` if the user is not an anonymous or a remember-me user
+
+| `hasPermission(Object target, Object permission)`
+| Returns `true` if the user has access to the provided target for the given permission. For example, `hasPermission(domainObject, 'read')`
+
+| `hasPermission(Object targetId, String targetType, Object permission)`
+| Returns `true` if the user has access to the provided target for the given permission. For example, `hasPermission(1, 'com.example.domain.Message', 'read')`
 |===