diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/tools/build-external-helpers.js b/packages/babel-core/src/tools/build-external-helpers.js
index 4f38272b1400..ef9120229aaa 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/tools/build-external-helpers.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/tools/build-external-helpers.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const buildUmdWrapper = replacements =>
     });
   `(replacements);
 
-function buildGlobal(whitelist) {
+function buildGlobal(allowlist) {
   const namespace = t.identifier("babelHelpers");
 
   const body = [];
@@ -60,14 +60,14 @@ function buildGlobal(whitelist) {
     ]),
   );
 
-  buildHelpers(body, namespace, whitelist);
+  buildHelpers(body, namespace, allowlist);
 
   return tree;
 }
 
-function buildModule(whitelist) {
+function buildModule(allowlist) {
   const body = [];
-  const refs = buildHelpers(body, null, whitelist);
+  const refs = buildHelpers(body, null, allowlist);
 
   body.unshift(
     t.exportNamedDeclaration(
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ function buildModule(whitelist) {
   return t.program(body, [], "module");
 }
 
-function buildUmd(whitelist) {
+function buildUmd(allowlist) {
   const namespace = t.identifier("babelHelpers");
 
   const body = [];
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ function buildUmd(whitelist) {
     ]),
   );
 
-  buildHelpers(body, namespace, whitelist);
+  buildHelpers(body, namespace, allowlist);
 
   return t.program([
     buildUmdWrapper({
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ function buildUmd(whitelist) {
   ]);
 }
 
-function buildVar(whitelist) {
+function buildVar(allowlist) {
   const namespace = t.identifier("babelHelpers");
 
   const body = [];
@@ -119,12 +119,12 @@ function buildVar(whitelist) {
     ]),
   );
   const tree = t.program(body);
-  buildHelpers(body, namespace, whitelist);
+  buildHelpers(body, namespace, allowlist);
   body.push(t.expressionStatement(namespace));
   return tree;
 }
 
-function buildHelpers(body, namespace, whitelist) {
+function buildHelpers(body, namespace, allowlist) {
   const getHelperReference = name => {
     return namespace
       ? t.memberExpression(namespace, t.identifier(name))
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ function buildHelpers(body, namespace, whitelist) {
 
   const refs = {};
   helpers.list.forEach(function (name) {
-    if (whitelist && whitelist.indexOf(name) < 0) return;
+    if (allowlist && allowlist.indexOf(name) < 0) return;
 
     const ref = (refs[name] = getHelperReference(name));
 
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ function buildHelpers(body, namespace, whitelist) {
   return refs;
 }
 export default function (
-  whitelist?: Array<string>,
+  allowlist?: Array<string>,
   outputType: "global" | "module" | "umd" | "var" = "global",
 ) {
   let tree;
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ export default function (
   }[outputType];
 
   if (build) {
-    tree = build(whitelist);
+    tree = build(allowlist);
   } else {
     throw new Error(`Unsupported output type ${outputType}`);
   }
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/test/api.js b/packages/babel-core/test/api.js
index 8da161d59556..42fb53777862 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/test/api.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/test/api.js
@@ -733,13 +733,13 @@ describe("api", function () {
       expect(script).toEqual(expect.stringContaining("inherits"));
     });
 
-    it("whitelist", function () {
+    it("allowlist", function () {
       const script = babel.buildExternalHelpers(["inherits"]);
       expect(script).not.toEqual(expect.stringContaining("classCallCheck"));
       expect(script).toEqual(expect.stringContaining("inherits"));
     });
 
-    it("empty whitelist", function () {
+    it("empty allowlist", function () {
       const script = babel.buildExternalHelpers([]);
       expect(script).not.toEqual(expect.stringContaining("classCallCheck"));
       expect(script).not.toEqual(expect.stringContaining("inherits"));
diff --git a/packages/babel-helper-fixtures/src/index.js b/packages/babel-helper-fixtures/src/index.js
index f0b4cd0914d6..9348fcc79af2 100644
--- a/packages/babel-helper-fixtures/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/babel-helper-fixtures/src/index.js
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ function assertDirectory(loc) {
   }
 }
 
-function shouldIgnore(name, blacklist?: Array<string>) {
-  if (blacklist && blacklist.indexOf(name) >= 0) {
+function shouldIgnore(name, ignore?: Array<string>) {
+  if (ignore && ignore.indexOf(name) >= 0) {
     return true;
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/babel-standalone/src/index.js b/packages/babel-standalone/src/index.js
index bff8525ae242..f2e218e897b9 100644
--- a/packages/babel-standalone/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/babel-standalone/src/index.js
@@ -162,12 +162,12 @@ export function registerPresets(newPresets: {
 }
 
 // All the plugins we should bundle
-// Want to get rid of this long whitelist of plugins?
+// Want to get rid of this long list of allowed plugins?
 // Wait! Please read https://github.com/babel/babel/pull/6177 first.
 registerPlugins(all);
 
 // All the presets we should bundle
-// Want to get rid of this whitelist of presets?
+// Want to get rid of this list of allowed presets?
 // Wait! Please read https://github.com/babel/babel/pull/6177 first.
 registerPresets({
   env: presetEnv,
diff --git a/packages/babel-traverse/src/scope/index.js b/packages/babel-traverse/src/scope/index.js
index e1ff13ebd1c3..f309baf316e2 100644
--- a/packages/babel-traverse/src/scope/index.js
+++ b/packages/babel-traverse/src/scope/index.js
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ export default class Scope {
   /**
    * Determine whether evaluating the specific input `node` is a consequenceless reference. ie.
    * evaluating it wont result in potentially arbitrary code from being ran. The following are
-   * whitelisted and determined not to cause side effects:
+   * allowed and determined not to cause side effects:
    *
    *  - `this` expressions
    *  - `super` expressions
diff --git a/packages/babel-traverse/test/scope.js b/packages/babel-traverse/test/scope.js
index dfd4bb2e822a..106c9631e647 100644
--- a/packages/babel-traverse/test/scope.js
+++ b/packages/babel-traverse/test/scope.js
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ describe("scope", () => {
         });
 
         if (kind1 !== kind2) {
-          //todo: remove the if whitelist
+          // todo: remove the if allowed
           if (kind1 === "const" && (kind2 === "function" || kind2 === "var")) {
             continue;
           }