Adjacent Words

Benign definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BENI'GN, a. beni'ne. [L.benignus, from the same root, as bonus, bene, ancient L. benus, Eng. boon.]
1. Kind; of a kind disposition; gracious; favorable.
Our Creator, bounteous and benign.
2. Generous; liberal; as a benign benefactor.
3. Favorable; having a salutary influence; as the benign aspect of the seasons.
The benign light of revelation.
4. Wholesome; not pernicious; as a benign medicine.
5. Favorable; not malignant; as a benign disease.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: not dangerous to health; not recurrent or progressive (especially of a tumor) [ant: malignant]
2: pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence; "a benign smile"; "the benign sky"; "the benign influence of pure air" [syn: benign, benignant] [ant: malign]
3: kindness of disposition or manner; "the benign ruler of millions"; "benign intentions"

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English benigne, from Anglo-French, from Latin benignus, from bene + gignere to beget — more at kin Date: 14th century 1. of a gentle disposition ; gracious <a benign teacher> 2. a. showing kindness and gentleness <benign faces> b. favorable, wholesome <a benign climate> 3. a. of a mild type or character that does not threaten health or life; especially not becoming cancerous <a benign lung tumor> b. having no significant effect ; harmless <evironmentally benign> • benignity noun • benignly adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 gentle, mild, kindly. 2 fortunate, salutary. 3 (of the climate, soil, etc.) mild, favourable. 4 Med. (of a disease, tumour, etc.) not malignant. Derivatives: benignly adv. Etymology: ME f. OF benigne f. L benignus f. bene well + - genus born

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Benign Be*nign", a. [OE. benigne, bening, OF. benigne, F. b['e]nin, fem. b['e]nigne, fr. L. benignus, contr. from benigenus; bonus good + root of genus kind. See Bounty, and Genus.] 1. Of a kind or gentle disposition; gracious; generous; favorable; benignant. Creator bounteous and benign. --Milton. 2. Exhibiting or manifesting kindness, gentleness, favor, etc.; mild; kindly; salutary; wholesome. Kind influences and benign aspects. --South. 3. Of a mild type or character; as, a benign disease. Syn: Kind; propitious; bland; genial; salubrious; favorable salutary; gracious; liberal.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. You use benign to describe someone who is kind, gentle, and harmless. They are normally a more benign audience... = charitable ADJ: usu ADJ n • benignly I just smiled benignly and stood back. ADV: usu ADV with v 2. A benign substance or process does not have any harmful effects. We're taking relatively benign medicines and we're turning them into poisons. ADJ: usu ADJ n 3. A benign tumour will not cause death or serious harm. (MEDICAL) It wasn't cancer, only a benign tumour. ? malignant ADJ: usu ADJ n 4. Benign conditions are pleasant or make it easy for something to happen. They enjoyed an especially benign climate... ADJ: usu ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Kind, kindly, benevolent, gracious, complaisant, humane, obliging, benignant, good, amiable, gentle, friendly, kind-hearted, tender-hearted, of a gentle disposition. 2. Beneficent, most salutary, most propitious, most favorable, benignant, most wholesome, most beneficial. 3. (Med.) Mild, of a mild nature.

Moby Thesaurus

Christian, Christlike, Christly, accommodating, affable, affectionate, agreeable, amiable, amicable, auspicious, beneficent, beneficial, benevolent, benignant, bland, bracing, bright, brotherly, charitable, clement, compassionate, complaisant, compliant, congenial, constitutional, cooperative, cordial, curable, decent, dexter, fair, favorable, favoring, forbearing, fortunate, fraternal, friendly, full of promise, generous, genial, gentle, golden, good, good for, good-hearted, gracious, happy, harmless, health-enhancing, health-preserving, healthful, healthy, human, humane, hygeian, hygienic, indulgent, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, invigorating, kind, kindhearted, kindly, kindly-disposed, loving, lucky, merciful, mild, neighborly, nice, nonmalignant, nonpoisonous, nontoxic, nonvirulent, obliging, of good omen, of happy portent, of promise, overindulgent, overpermissive, permissive, promising, propitious, prosperous, refreshing, salubrious, salutary, sanitary, softhearted, sympathetic, sympathizing, tender, tenderhearted, tonic, undamaging, unhurtful, uninjurious, unobnoxious, warm, warm-hearted, warmhearted, well-affected, well-disposed, well-intentioned, well-meaning, well-meant, white, wholesome