diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/dict.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/dict.py
index 6d9bc327bd..dce1159ae3 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/dict.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/lookup/dict.py
@@ -7,14 +7,14 @@ __metaclass__ = type
 DOCUMENTATION = """
     lookup: dict
     version_added: "1.5"
-    short_description: returns key/value pair items from a dictionary
+    short_description: returns key/value pair items from dictionaries
     description:
-        - Takes a dictionary as input and returns a list with each item in the list being a dictionary with 'key' and 'value' as
+        - Takes dictionaries as input and returns a list with each item in the list being a dictionary with 'key' and 'value' as
           keys to the previous dictionary's structure.
     options:
-        _raw:
+        _terms:
             description:
-                - A dictionary
+                - A list of dictionaries
             required: True
 """
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ tasks:
   - name: Print phone records
     debug:
       msg: "User {{ item.key }} is {{ item.value.name }} ({{ item.value.telephone }})"
-    with_dict: "{{ users }}"
+    loop: "{{ lookup('dict', users) }}"
 """
 
 RETURN = """
@@ -56,8 +56,15 @@ class LookupModule(LookupBase):
 
     def run(self, terms, variables=None, **kwargs):
 
-        # Expect any type of Mapping, notably hostvars
-        if not isinstance(terms, collections.Mapping):
-            raise AnsibleError("with_dict expects a dict")
+        # FIXME: can remove once with_ special case is removed
+        if not isinstance(terms, list):
+            terms = [terms]
 
-        return self._flatten_hash_to_list(terms)
+        results = []
+        for term in terms:
+            # Expect any type of Mapping, notably hostvars
+            if not isinstance(term, collections.Mapping):
+                raise AnsibleError("with_dict expects a dict")
+
+            results.extend(self._flatten_hash_to_list(term))
+        return results