diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolver.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolver.java
index b3bd606aa4e..95ce4f1f288 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolver.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolver.java
@@ -82,18 +82,18 @@ public final class GenericTypeResolver {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Resolve the single type argument of the given generic interface against the given
-	 * target method which is assumed to return the given interface or an implementation
+	 * Resolve the single type argument of the given generic type against the given
+	 * target method which is assumed to return the given type or an implementation
 	 * of it.
 	 * @param method the target method to check the return type of
-	 * @param genericIfc the generic interface or superclass to resolve the type argument from
+	 * @param genericType the generic interface or superclass to resolve the type argument from
 	 * @return the resolved parameter type of the method return type, or {@code null}
 	 * if not resolvable or if the single argument is of type {@link WildcardType}.
 	 */
 	@Nullable
-	public static Class<?> resolveReturnTypeArgument(Method method, Class<?> genericIfc) {
+	public static Class<?> resolveReturnTypeArgument(Method method, Class<?> genericType) {
 		Assert.notNull(method, "Method must not be null");
-		ResolvableType resolvableType = ResolvableType.forMethodReturnType(method).as(genericIfc);
+		ResolvableType resolvableType = ResolvableType.forMethodReturnType(method).as(genericType);
 		if (!resolvableType.hasGenerics() || resolvableType.getType() instanceof WildcardType) {
 			return null;
 		}
@@ -101,16 +101,16 @@ public final class GenericTypeResolver {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Resolve the single type argument of the given generic interface against
-	 * the given target class which is assumed to implement the generic interface
+	 * Resolve the single type argument of the given generic type against
+	 * the given target class which is assumed to implement the given type
 	 * and possibly declare a concrete type for its type variable.
 	 * @param clazz the target class to check against
-	 * @param genericIfc the generic interface or superclass to resolve the type argument from
+	 * @param genericType the generic interface or superclass to resolve the type argument from
 	 * @return the resolved type of the argument, or {@code null} if not resolvable
 	 */
 	@Nullable
-	public static Class<?> resolveTypeArgument(Class<?> clazz, Class<?> genericIfc) {
-		ResolvableType resolvableType = ResolvableType.forClass(clazz).as(genericIfc);
+	public static Class<?> resolveTypeArgument(Class<?> clazz, Class<?> genericType) {
+		ResolvableType resolvableType = ResolvableType.forClass(clazz).as(genericType);
 		if (!resolvableType.hasGenerics()) {
 			return null;
 		}
@@ -127,17 +127,17 @@ public final class GenericTypeResolver {
 
 
 	/**
-	 * Resolve the type arguments of the given generic interface against the given
-	 * target class which is assumed to implement the generic interface and possibly
-	 * declare concrete types for its type variables.
+	 * Resolve the type arguments of the given generic type against the given
+	 * target class which is assumed to implement or extend from the given type
+	 * and possibly declare concrete types for its type variables.
 	 * @param clazz the target class to check against
-	 * @param genericIfc the generic interface or superclass to resolve the type argument from
+	 * @param genericType the generic interface or superclass to resolve the type argument from
 	 * @return the resolved type of each argument, with the array size matching the
 	 * number of actual type arguments, or {@code null} if not resolvable
 	 */
 	@Nullable
-	public static Class<?>[] resolveTypeArguments(Class<?> clazz, Class<?> genericIfc) {
-		ResolvableType type = ResolvableType.forClass(clazz).as(genericIfc);
+	public static Class<?>[] resolveTypeArguments(Class<?> clazz, Class<?> genericType) {
+		ResolvableType type = ResolvableType.forClass(clazz).as(genericType);
 		if (!type.hasGenerics() || type.isEntirelyUnresolvable()) {
 			return null;
 		}
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolverTests.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolverTests.java
index a5c23ae6aef..caa0c92de1b 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolverTests.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolverTests.java
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ class GenericTypeResolverTests {
 	void methodReturnTypes() {
 		assertThat(resolveReturnTypeArgument(findMethod(MyTypeWithMethods.class, "integer"), MyInterfaceType.class)).isEqualTo(Integer.class);
 		assertThat(resolveReturnTypeArgument(findMethod(MyTypeWithMethods.class, "string"), MyInterfaceType.class)).isEqualTo(String.class);
+		assertThat(resolveReturnTypeArgument(findMethod(MyTypeWithMethods.class, "character"), MyAbstractType.class)).isEqualTo(Character.class);
 		assertThat(resolveReturnTypeArgument(findMethod(MyTypeWithMethods.class, "raw"), MyInterfaceType.class)).isNull();
 		assertThat(resolveReturnTypeArgument(findMethod(MyTypeWithMethods.class, "object"), MyInterfaceType.class)).isNull();
 	}
@@ -137,6 +138,12 @@ class GenericTypeResolverTests {
 		assertThat(x).isEqualTo(Long.class);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void resolveTypeArgumentsOfAbstractType() {
+		Class<?>[] resolved = GenericTypeResolver.resolveTypeArguments(MyConcreteType.class, MyAbstractType.class);
+		assertThat(resolved).containsExactly(Character.class);
+	}
+
 	@Test  // SPR-11030
 	void getGenericsCannotBeResolved() throws Exception {
 		Class<?>[] resolved = GenericTypeResolver.resolveTypeArguments(List.class, Iterable.class);
@@ -240,6 +247,12 @@ class GenericTypeResolverTests {
 	public class MyCollectionInterfaceType implements MyInterfaceType<Collection<String>> {
 	}
 
+	public abstract class MyAbstractType<T> implements MyInterfaceType<T> {
+	}
+
+	public class MyConcreteType extends MyAbstractType<Character> {
+	}
+
 	public abstract class MySuperclassType<T> {
 
 		public void upperBound(List<? extends T> list) {
@@ -274,6 +287,8 @@ class GenericTypeResolverTests {
 			return null;
 		}
 
+		public MyConcreteType character() { return null; }
+
 		public Object object() {
 			return null;
 		}