1
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
environmentally benign
2
: of a gentle disposition : gracious
a benign teacher
Did you know?
Benign Shares Its Latin Root With Many Words
Benign traces back to the Latin adjective benignus, which was formed from bene, meaning "well," and the verb gignere, "to beget"—that is, "to produce or create." Gignere is also the root of such English words as genius and germ, and even shares distant ancestry with kin. The meanings of benign range from describing an absence of danger or harm to that which shows kindness or is gracious or wholesome.
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
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 on the Web
Inflation still remains a concern because the full impact of tariffs is yet to be felt, however, at least the underlying trends (e.g. non-tariff related inflation) seems benign at this time.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
The hospital determined that five cases were benign brain tumors of three different types, and six cases were determined not to be brain tumors at all but other health concerns, according to the memo.
—Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Tim Plowman and Jim Duke would famously reveal coca to be both benign and chock-full of vital nutrients, but their nutritional study came a generation too late to inform the bureaucratic and political process that led to the criminalization of the plant.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
Economic cost Allergies, in contrast, may sound relatively benign.
—Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for benign
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Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
The hospital determined that five cases were benign brain tumors of three different types, and six cases were determined not to be brain tumors at all but other health concerns, according to the memo.
—Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Tim Plowman and Jim Duke would famously reveal coca to be both benign and chock-full of vital nutrients, but their nutritional study came a generation too late to inform the bureaucratic and political process that led to the criminalization of the plant.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
Economic cost Allergies, in contrast, may sound relatively benign.
—Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for benign
Cite this Entry
“Benign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benign. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
benign
adjective
be·nign
bi-ˈnīn 
1
: of a mild type or character that does not threaten health or life
benign malaria
a benign liver cyst
2
: having a good prognosis : responding favorably to treatment
a benign psychosis
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