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benign

adj
/bɪˈnaɪn/CA/bɪˈnɑen/

Etymology

From Middle English benigne, benygne, from Old French benigne, from Latin benignus (“kind, good”), from bene (“well”) + genus (“origin, kind”). Compare malign.

  1. derived from benignus
  2. derived from benigne
  3. inherited from benigne

Definitions

  1. Kind

    Kind; gentle; mild.

    • But though we both entertained these ideas, we differed in their application. Resentment added also a sting to my censure; and I reprobated Raymond's conduct in severe terms. Adrian was more benign, more considerate.
    • I people my world with benign spirits. Everything talks to me and I respond to it.
    • During it, [Ashley] Graham attempted to ask the actor [Hugh Grant] a series of benign questions, and he gave her very little to work with.

  2. Mild and favorable.

  3. Not harmful to the environment.

    • an ozone-benign refrigerant
  4. ›+ 1 more definition

    1. Not posing any serious threat to health

      Not posing any serious threat to health; not particularly aggressive or recurrent.

      • a benign tumor
      • Despite the gruesome way it looks, cottontail rabbit papillomavirus is often benign, and many rabbits end up fighting it off on their own.

The neighborhood

Derived

benignancy, benignant, benignity, benignly, benign neglect, benignness, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, benign prostate enlargement, benign prostatic hyperplasia, nonbenign, unbenign

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for benign. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA