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In research and clinical practice, the words chosen to describe others matter, particularly regarding race and ethnicity. Some terminologies are particularly problematic and should be avoided, given their tendency to distort cohorts of individuals based on presupposed common attributes and demographic characteristics. Racial taxonomy may unintentionally give rise to pejorative and potentially unsettling connotations. Hence, outdated racialised designations should be superseded by ethically and scientifically meaningful alternatives. The term Caucasian, as demonstrated in this manuscript, has persisted as a frequent terminology in Western biomedical parlance when referring to white individuals. The use of the term Caucasian represents a relic of an outdated and prejudiced racial classification system. In particular, the persistence of this terminology in the Australian healthcare setting is in disagreement with contemporary scientific and worldview values. Although the use of Caucasian as a descriptor has been challenged, given its inherent taxonomic and methodological flaws, several professional associations continue to include Caucasian as an acceptable category in racial classification systems, which suggests this time-worn term remains in wide use. It is likely, therefore, that the persisting use of Caucasian will continue to generate unreliable information and contribute to a misinterpretation of Australian populational composition. To the authors' knowledge, the persistent use of Caucasian as a demographic descriptor has never been questioned in the Australian scientific literature. It is hoped that the argument presented herein will prompt further debate and development regarding this critical issue.