benign Hear it!

benign definition

be·nign (bi nīn′)

adjective

  1. good-natured; kindly
  2. favorable; beneficial
  3. Med. doing little or no harm; not malignant; specif., not cancerous benign tumors

Etymology: ME & OFr benigne < L benignus, good, lit., well-born < bene, well (cf. sense development of gentle) + genus, birth: see genus

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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