benign

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adjective be·nign \bi-ˈnīn\

Definition of benign

1 : of a gentle disposition : gracious a benign teacher
2a : showing kindness and gentleness benign facesb : favorable, wholesome a benign climate
3a : of a mild type or character that does not threaten health or life; especially : not becoming cancerous a benign lung tumorb : having no significant effect : harmless environmentally benign

benignity

play \-ˈnig-nə-tē\ noun

benignly

play \-ˈnīn-lē\ adverb

See benign defined for English-language learners

See benign defined for kids

benign was our Word of the Day on 06/17/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of benign in a Sentence

… substituting such benign power sources as the hybrid, the fuel cell, and the electric motor in place of … the internal-combustion engine. —Brock Yates, Car and Driver, May 2000
Rather than a benign fairytale creature that delivers babies, the marabou stork is an ugly, viciously predatory African bird that preys on flamingos … —James Polk, New York Times Book Review, 11 Feb. 1996
… her pulled-back black hair had gone gray in strange distinct bands, but she seemed much as he remembered her, solid and energetic, with a certain benign defiance. —John Updike, New Yorker, 23 May 1988
When she chose to smile on me, I always wanted to thank her. The action was so graceful and inclusively benign. —Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969
We were happy to hear that the tumor was benign.
around campus he's known as a real character, but one whose eccentricities are entirely benign

Recent Examples of benign from the Web

And yet, just because a term makes browsing easier doesn’t mean it’s benign.

— lynsey g., Glamour, "Does Mainstream Porn Have a Race Problem?," 13 July 2017
The denials even extended to seemingly benign information, like names.

— jim schaefer and gina kaufman, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan has tried to get tougher on bad cops, but ...," 8 July 2017
On June 8, Menounos’ benign tumor was 99.9 percent removed in a lengthy surgery.

— lindsay kimble, PEOPLE.com, "Celebrity Scoop: Ben’s New Lady, Maria Menounos’ Health Scare and More of the Biggest News from Hollywood," 7 July 2017
Menounos underwent surgery on June 8, and her mother’s doctor, Dr. Keith L. Black, was able to remove 99.9 percent of the benign tumor.

— sarah spellings, The Cut, "Maria Menounos Is Stepping Down From E! News After Being Diagnosed With a Brain Tumor," 3 July 2017
On June 8, Menounos’ benign tumor was 99.9 percent removed in a lengthy surgery.

— lindsay kimble, PEOPLE.com, "Maria Menounos Thanks Fans and Poses with Her Cancer-Stricken Mom After Revealing Her Brain Tumor Diagnosis," 3 July 2017
This said, compared with some of the other body-count extravaganzas my son has run up on the screen, Pokémon is pretty benign.

— mark jacobson, Daily Intelligencer, "The Generation Gap in My Living Room," 30 June 2017
Mr. Yardeni remains bullish on United States stocks and is cautiously positive about the economy, saying low bond yields probably reflect persistently low inflation, which could be benign.

— jeff sommer, New York Times, "Clouds Are Forming Over the Bond Market," 30 June 2017
The telltale blue flash that followed gave Slotin enough radiation to kill him five times over, and the seven observers in the room received doses ranging from nearly lethal to benign.

— patrick malone, Science | AAAS, "A near-disaster at a federal nuclear weapons," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'benign.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

benign Shares Its Latin Root With Many Words

Benediction, benefactor, benefit, benevolent, and benign are just some of the English words that derive from the well-tempered Latin root bene, which means "well." Benign came to English via Anglo-French from the Latin benignus, which in turn paired bene with gignere, meaning "to beget." Gignere has produced a few offspring of its own in English. Its descendants include congenital, genius, germ, indigenous, and progenitor, among others. Benign is commonly used in medical contexts to describe conditions, such as noncancerous masses, that present no apparent harm to the patient. It is also found in the phrase benign neglect, which refers to an attitude or policy of ignoring an often delicate or undesirable situation that one has the responsibility to manage.

Origin and Etymology of benign

Middle English benigne, from Anglo-French, from Latin benignus, from bene + gignere to beget — more at kin

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First Known Use: 14th century

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BENIGN Defined for English Language Learners

benign

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adjective

Definition of benign for English Language Learners

medical : not causing death or serious injury
: without cancer : not cancerous
: not causing harm or damage

BENIGN Defined for Kids

benign

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adjective be·nign \bi-ˈnīn\

Definition of benign for Students

1 : marked by gentleness and kindness a benign ruler a benign mood
2 : not causing death or serious harm a benign growth on the skin

benignly

adverb nodded benignly

Medical Dictionary

benign

play

adjective be·nign \bi-ˈnīn\

Medical Definition of benign

1: of a mild type or character that does not threaten health or life benign malaria a benign liver cyst; especially : not becoming cancerous a benign lung tumor—compare malignant 1
2: having a good prognosis : responding favorably to treatment a benign psychosis