benignly

American

[bih-nahyn-lee] / bɪˈnaɪn li /

adverb

in a kind, gracious, or gentle manner.

Kit smiled benignly and told them to wait and see.
I reacted far too forcefully to a very benignly stated criticism, but that was because I was frustrated.
in a positive, favorable, or auspicious way.

The trail begins benignly enough, but gains elevation unevenly, with surprisingly steep sections throughout.
Laws once thought to operate benignly in women's favor have in time come to be seen as instead impeding their opportunity to participate in and contribute to society.
Pathology. in a way that is not malignant.

This procedure is most commonly performed in men with benignly enlarged prostate glands.
Candida, an opportunistic fungal pathogen, for the most part lives benignly on our skin and mucous membranes.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of benignly

benign ( def. ) + -ly

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.

When E. coli fail to attach and colonize the gut, the pathogen benignly moves through and passes out of the body.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2024

And one leader’s picture - smiling benignly from every traffic circle — stands out from the rest: Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

From Washington Times • Sep. 6, 2023

And one leader’s picture — smiling benignly from every traffic circle — stands out from the rest: Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 5, 2023

Seeing Aidan through the eyes of people who view him benignly, even lovingly, we feel the danger in each of this monster’s relationships and the ways in which people are blinded to it.

From New York Times • Jun. 20, 2023

The speaker’s hands were folded benignly on his chest.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023