diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/sql/vectorized/ColumnVector.java b/sql/catalyst/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/sql/vectorized/ColumnVector.java
index bfb1833b731a7..d5fd7e61897a1 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/sql/vectorized/ColumnVector.java
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/sql/vectorized/ColumnVector.java
@@ -69,14 +69,14 @@ public abstract class ColumnVector implements AutoCloseable {
   public abstract void close();
 
   /**
-   * Cleans up memory for this column vector if it's not writable. The column vector is not usable
-   * after this.
+   * Cleans up memory for this column vector if it's resources are freeable bewteen batches.
+   * The column vector is not usable after this.
    *
-   * If this is a writable column vector, it is a no-op.
+   * If this is a writable column vector or constant column vector, it is a no-op.
    */
-  public void closeIfNotWritable() {
-    // By default, we just call close() for all column vectors. If a column vector is writable, it
-    // should override this method and do nothing.
+  public void closeIfFreeable() {
+    // By default, we just call close() for all column vectors. If a column vector is writable or
+    // constant, it should override this method and do nothing.
     close();
   }
 
diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/sql/vectorized/ColumnarBatch.java b/sql/catalyst/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/sql/vectorized/ColumnarBatch.java
index 52e4115af336a..7ef570a212292 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/sql/vectorized/ColumnarBatch.java
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/sql/vectorized/ColumnarBatch.java
@@ -46,12 +46,12 @@ public void close() {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Called to close all the columns if they are not writable. This is used to clean up memory
-   * allocated during columnar processing.
+   * Called to close all the columns if their resources are freeable between batches.
+   * This is used to clean up memory allocated during columnar processing.
    */
-  public void closeIfNotWritable() {
+  public void closeIfFreeable() {
     for (ColumnVector c: columns) {
-      c.closeIfNotWritable();
+      c.closeIfFreeable();
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/vectorized/WritableColumnVector.java b/sql/core/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/vectorized/WritableColumnVector.java
index 696e20525cdac..fc465e73006be 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/vectorized/WritableColumnVector.java
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/vectorized/WritableColumnVector.java
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ public void close() {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public void closeIfNotWritable() {
+  public void closeIfFreeable() {
     // no-op
   }
 
diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/Columnar.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/Columnar.scala
index 64163da50e13a..a67648f24b4c2 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/Columnar.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/Columnar.scala
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ case class ColumnarToRowExec(child: SparkPlan) extends ColumnarToRowTransition w
        |    $shouldStop
        |  }
        |  $idx = $numRows;
-       |  $batch.closeIfNotWritable();
+       |  $batch.closeIfFreeable();
        |  $batch = null;
        |  $nextBatchFuncName();
        |}