diff --git a/base/compiler/typeinfer.jl b/base/compiler/typeinfer.jl
index 460f4be4db0f0..4075f25c6b1e0 100644
--- a/base/compiler/typeinfer.jl
+++ b/base/compiler/typeinfer.jl
@@ -1051,7 +1051,11 @@ function typeinf_type(interp::AbstractInterpreter, method::Method, @nospecialize
     if contains_is(unwrap_unionall(atype).parameters, Union{})
         return Union{} # don't ask: it does weird and unnecessary things, if it occurs during bootstrap
     end
-    mi = specialize_method(method, atype, sparams)::MethodInstance
+    return typeinf_type(interp, specialize_method(method, atype, sparams))
+end
+typeinf_type(interp::AbstractInterpreter, match::MethodMatch) =
+    typeinf_type(interp, specialize_method(match))
+function typeinf_type(interp::AbstractInterpreter, mi::MethodInstance)
     start_time = ccall(:jl_typeinf_timing_begin, UInt64, ())
     code = get(code_cache(interp), mi, nothing)
     if code isa CodeInstance
@@ -1120,8 +1124,7 @@ function _return_type(interp::AbstractInterpreter, t::DataType)
         rt = widenconst(rt)
     else
         for match in _methods_by_ftype(t, -1, get_world_counter(interp))::Vector
-            match = match::MethodMatch
-            ty = typeinf_type(interp, match.method, match.spec_types, match.sparams)
+            ty = typeinf_type(interp, match::MethodMatch)
             ty === nothing && return Any
             rt = tmerge(rt, ty)
             rt === Any && break
diff --git a/base/reflection.jl b/base/reflection.jl
index 145a7a9a376d5..4d59942cf4013 100644
--- a/base/reflection.jl
+++ b/base/reflection.jl
@@ -1710,6 +1710,8 @@ check_generated_context(world::UInt) =
     (ccall(:jl_is_in_pure_context, Bool, ()) || world == typemax(UInt)) &&
         error("code reflection cannot be used from generated functions")
 
+# TODO rename `Base.return_types` to `Base.infer_return_types`
+
 """
     Base.return_types(
         f, types=default_tt(f);
@@ -1741,9 +1743,9 @@ julia> Base.return_types(sum, Tuple{Vector{Int}})
 julia> methods(sum, (Union{Vector{Int},UnitRange{Int}},))
 # 2 methods for generic function "sum" from Base:
  [1] sum(r::AbstractRange{<:Real})
-     @ range.jl:1396
+     @ range.jl:1399
  [2] sum(a::AbstractArray; dims, kw...)
-     @ reducedim.jl:996
+     @ reducedim.jl:1010
 
 julia> Base.return_types(sum, (Union{Vector{Int},UnitRange{Int}},))
 2-element Vector{Any}:
@@ -1771,13 +1773,84 @@ function return_types(@nospecialize(f), @nospecialize(types=default_tt(f));
     tt = signature_type(f, types)
     matches = _methods_by_ftype(tt, #=lim=#-1, world)::Vector
     for match in matches
-        match = match::Core.MethodMatch
-        ty = Core.Compiler.typeinf_type(interp, match.method, match.spec_types, match.sparams)
+        ty = Core.Compiler.typeinf_type(interp, match::Core.MethodMatch)
         push!(rts, something(ty, Any))
     end
     return rts
 end
 
+"""
+    Base.infer_return_type(
+        f, types=default_tt(f);
+        world::UInt=get_world_counter(),
+        interp::Core.Compiler.AbstractInterpreter=Core.Compiler.NativeInterpreter(world)) -> rt::Type
+
+Returns an inferred return type of the function call specified by `f` and `types`.
+
+# Arguments
+- `f`: The function to analyze.
+- `types` (optional): The argument types of the function. Defaults to the default tuple type of `f`.
+- `world` (optional): The world counter to use for the analysis. Defaults to the current world counter.
+- `interp` (optional): The abstract interpreter to use for the analysis. Defaults to a new `Core.Compiler.NativeInterpreter` with the specified `world`.
+
+# Returns
+- `rt::Type`: An inferred return type of the function call specified by the given call signature.
+
+!!! note
+    Note that, different from [`Base.return_types`](@ref), this doesn't give you the list
+    return types of every possible method matching with the given `f` and `types`.
+    It returns a single return type, taking into account all potential outcomes of
+    any function call entailed by the given signature type.
+
+# Example
+
+```julia
+julia> checksym(::Symbol) = :symbol;
+
+julia> checksym(x::Any) = x;
+
+julia> Base.infer_return_type(checksym, (Union{Symbol,String},))
+Union{String, Symbol}
+
+julia> Base.return_types(checksym, (Union{Symbol,String},))
+2-element Vector{Any}:
+ Symbol
+ Union{String, Symbol}
+```
+
+It's important to note the difference here: `Base.return_types` gives back inferred results
+for each method that matches the given signature `checksum(::Union{Symbol,String})`.
+On the other hand `Base.infer_return_type` returns one collective result that sums up all those possibilities.
+
+!!! warning
+    The `Base.infer_return_type` function should not be used from generated functions;
+    doing so will result in an error.
+"""
+function infer_return_type(@nospecialize(f), @nospecialize(types=default_tt(f));
+                           world::UInt=get_world_counter(),
+                           interp::Core.Compiler.AbstractInterpreter=Core.Compiler.NativeInterpreter(world))
+    check_generated_context(world)
+    if isa(f, Core.OpaqueClosure)
+        return last(only(code_typed_opaque_closure(f)))
+    end
+    if isa(f, Core.Builtin)
+        return _builtin_return_type(interp, f, types)
+    end
+    tt = signature_type(f, types)
+    matches = Core.Compiler.findall(tt, Core.Compiler.method_table(interp))
+    if matches === nothing
+        # unanalyzable call, i.e. the interpreter world might be newer than the world where
+        # the `f` is defined, return the unknown return type
+        return Any
+    end
+    rt = Union{}
+    for match in matches.matches
+        ty = Core.Compiler.typeinf_type(interp, match::Core.MethodMatch)
+        rt = Core.Compiler.tmerge(rt, something(ty, Any))
+    end
+    return rt
+end
+
 """
     Base.infer_exception_types(
         f, types=default_tt(f);
@@ -1880,7 +1953,7 @@ Returns the type of exception potentially thrown by the function call specified
 !!! note
     Note that, different from [`Base.infer_exception_types`](@ref), this doesn't give you the list
     exception types for every possible matching method with the given `f` and `types`.
-    It provides a single exception type, taking into account all potential outcomes of
+    It returns a single exception type, taking into account all potential outcomes of
     any function call entailed by the given signature type.
 
 # Example
@@ -1964,7 +2037,7 @@ Returns the possible computation effects of the function call specified by `f` a
 !!! note
     Note that, different from [`Base.return_types`](@ref), this doesn't give you the list
     effect analysis results for every possible matching method with the given `f` and `types`.
-    It provides a single effect, taking into account all potential outcomes of any function
+    It returns a single effect, taking into account all potential outcomes of any function
     call entailed by the given signature type.
 
 # Example
diff --git a/test/reflection.jl b/test/reflection.jl
index 87f16deacdded..ddeeb0d053ff2 100644
--- a/test/reflection.jl
+++ b/test/reflection.jl
@@ -1020,7 +1020,22 @@ ambig_effects_test(a::Int, b) = 1
 ambig_effects_test(a, b::Int) = 1
 ambig_effects_test(a, b) = 1
 
-@testset "infer_effects" begin
+@testset "Base.infer_return_type[s]" begin
+    # generic function case
+    @test only(Base.return_types(issue41694, (Int,))) == Base.infer_return_type(issue41694, (Int,)) == Int
+    # case when it's not fully covered
+    @test only(Base.return_types(issue41694, (Integer,))) == Base.infer_return_type(issue41694, (Integer,)) == Int
+    # MethodError case
+    @test isempty(Base.return_types(issue41694, (Float64,)))
+    @test Base.infer_return_type(issue41694, (Float64,)) == Union{}
+    # builtin case
+    @test only(Base.return_types(typeof, (Any,))) == Base.infer_return_type(typeof, (Any,)) == DataType
+    @test only(Base.return_types(===, (Any,Any))) == Base.infer_return_type(===, (Any,Any)) == Bool
+    @test only(Base.return_types(setfield!, ())) == Base.infer_return_type(setfield!, ()) == Union{}
+    @test only(Base.return_types(Core.Intrinsics.mul_int, ())) == Base.infer_return_type(Core.Intrinsics.mul_int, ()) == Union{}
+end
+
+@testset "Base.infer_effects" begin
     # generic functions
     @test Base.infer_effects(issue41694, (Int,)) |> Core.Compiler.is_terminates
     @test Base.infer_effects((Int,)) do x
@@ -1047,7 +1062,7 @@ ambig_effects_test(a, b) = 1
     @test (Base.infer_effects(Core.Intrinsics.mul_int, ()); true) # `intrinsic_effects` shouldn't throw on empty `argtypes`
 end
 
-@testset "infer_exception_type[s]" begin
+@testset "Base.infer_exception_type[s]" begin
     # generic functions
     @test Base.infer_exception_type(issue41694, (Int,)) == only(Base.infer_exception_types(issue41694, (Int,))) == ErrorException
     @test Base.infer_exception_type((Int,)) do x
@@ -1119,7 +1134,9 @@ end
         return :(x)
     end
 end
-@test only(Base.return_types(generated_only_simple, (Real,))) == Core.Compiler.return_type(generated_only_simple, Tuple{Real}) == Any
+@test only(Base.return_types(generated_only_simple, (Real,))) ==
+      Base.infer_return_type(generated_only_simple, (Real,)) ==
+      Core.Compiler.return_type(generated_only_simple, Tuple{Real}) == Any
 let (src, rt) = only(code_typed(generated_only_simple, (Real,)))
     @test src isa Method
     @test rt == Any