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malignancy

American  
[muh-lig-nuhn-see] / məˈlɪg nən si /
Also malignance

noun

  • malignancies
    plural
  1. the quality or condition of being malignant.

  2. malignant character, behavior, action, or the like.

    the malignancies of war.

  3. a malignant tumor.


malignancy British  
/ məˈlɪɡnənsɪ /

noun

  1. the state or quality of being malignant

  2. pathol a cancerous growth

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of malignancy

First recorded in 1595–1605; malign(ant) + -ancy

Vocabulary lists containing malignancy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The group included healthy volunteers as well as people with diseases or treatments associated with immune suppression, including HIV, multiple myeloma, solid organ malignancy, autoimmune disease, inflammatory bowel disease and solid organ transplantation.

From Science Daily Aug. 21, 2026

But he sure makes the strongest case for being the most malevolent, influential force there, a malignancy that poisons everything he touches.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 29, 2026

Nothing in these stories, translated by Megan McDowell, is quite impossible, yet the shadow of numinous malignancy hangs over everything.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 9, 2025

Not because cancer had been ruled out — it’s possible that the tests might have missed a subtle malignancy, still brewing.

From Salon May 20, 2025

The ultraviolet radiation in sunlight could cause malignancy.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Dr. Shannon MacDonald, a Massachusetts radiation oncologist and Harvard professor who treats rare pediatric malignancies, sees patients from across the country.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 18, 2026

By showing how interactions between immune and stromal cells drive these changes, the study offers a model for exploring inflammatory remodeling in other myeloid malignancies and advanced leukemia.

From Science Daily Nov. 19, 2025

In women aged 40 to 49 the most common malignancies were breast, melanoma, and colorectal cancers.

From BBC Mar. 25, 2024

The most common side effects of Xolair are injection site reactions and fever, but the FDA noted that the drug has also been associated with joint pain, rash, parasitic infections, malignancies and abnormal laboratory tests.

From Seattle Times Feb. 16, 2024

There is, however, one presently known exception to the fact that a long period of latency is common to most malignancies.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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