diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5e502db930..6a82be93ef 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ There are two modes of format validation: `fast` and `full`. This mode affects f
 
 You can add additional formats and replace any of the formats above using [addFormat](#api-addformat) method.
 
-The option `unknownFormats` allows changing the default behaviour when an unknown format is encountered. In this case Ajv can either fail schema compilation (default) or ignore it (default in versions before 5.0.0). You also can whitelist specific format(s) to be ignored. See [Options](#options) for details.
+The option `unknownFormats` allows changing the default behaviour when an unknown format is encountered. In this case Ajv can either fail schema compilation (default) or ignore it (default in versions before 5.0.0). You also can allowlist specific format(s) to be ignored. See [Options](#options) for details.
 
 You can find regular expressions used for format validation and the sources that were used in [formats.js](https://github.com/ajv-validator/ajv/blob/master/lib/compile/formats.js).
 
diff --git a/spec/extras/$data/format.json b/spec/extras/$data/format.json
index 22cac2ddc8..b223fb92b2 100644
--- a/spec/extras/$data/format.json
+++ b/spec/extras/$data/format.json
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
         "valid": false
       },
       {
-        "description": "whitelisted unknown format is valid",
+        "description": "allowlisted unknown format is valid",
         "data": {
           "str": "any value",
           "strFormat": "allowedUnknown"
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
         "valid": true
       },
       {
-        "description": "not whitelisted unknown format is invalid",
+        "description": "not allowlisted unknown format is invalid",
         "data": {
           "str": "any value",
           "strFormat": "completelyUnknown"
diff --git a/spec/options/unknownFormats.spec.js b/spec/options/unknownFormats.spec.js
index 81ea326552..0185751402 100644
--- a/spec/options/unknownFormats.spec.js
+++ b/spec/options/unknownFormats.spec.js
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ describe('unknownFormats option', function() {
   });
 
   describe('= [String]', function() {
-    it('should pass schema compilation and be valid if whitelisted unknown format is used', function() {
+    it('should pass schema compilation and be valid if alloylisted unknown format is used', function() {
       test(new Ajv({unknownFormats: ['allowed']}));
 
       function test(ajv) {
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ describe('unknownFormats option', function() {
       }
     });
 
-    it('should be valid if whitelisted unknown format is used via $data', function() {
+    it('should be valid if alloylisted unknown format is used via $data', function() {
       test(new Ajv({$data: true, unknownFormats: ['allowed']}));
 
       function test(ajv) {
diff --git a/spec/tests/rules/format.json b/spec/tests/rules/format.json
index c316a6ee54..c7d2b07f08 100644
--- a/spec/tests/rules/format.json
+++ b/spec/tests/rules/format.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [
   {
-    "description": "whitelisted unknown format is valid",
+    "description": "alloylisted unknown format is valid",
     "schema": {
       "format": "allowedUnknown"
     },