benign

American  

[bih-nahyn] / bɪˈnaɪn /

adjective

1. Pathology. not malignant; self-limiting.

   a benign brain tumor.

2. having no harmful influence or effect.

   ecologically benign and sustainable building materials.

3. having a kindly disposition; gracious.

   a benign king.

   Synonyms:

   compassionate, gentle, humane, tender, benevolent, benignant, kindly, good

4. showing or expressive of gentleness or kindness.

   a benign smile.

5. favorable; propitious.

   a series of benign omens and configurations in the heavens.

   Antonyms:

   sinister

6. (of weather) pleasant or beneficial; salubrious; healthful.

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benign British  

/ bɪˈnaɪn /

adjective

1. showing kindliness; genial

2. (of soil, climate, etc) mild; gentle

3. favourable; propitious

4. pathol (of a tumour, etc) not threatening to life or health; not malignant

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benign Scientific  

/ bĭ-nīn′ /

1. Not life-threatening or severe, and likely to respond to treatment, as a tumor that is not malignant.

2. Compare malignant

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benign Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for conditions that present no danger to life or well-being. Benign is the opposite of malignant.

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Usage

What’s the difference between benign and malignant? In a medical context, the word benign is used to describe masses or tumors that are not cancerous—those that do not spread disease to other parts of the body. The word malignant is the opposite—it’s used to describe harmful masses or tumors that are cancerous and that grow and spread disease. Both words are sometimes also used in general ways. Benign can mean kind, favorable, or gracious, while malignant can mean harmful or intended or intending to cause harm. The best clue to help remember their meanings is the prefix mal-, which means “bad” and shows up in a lot of other negative words, such as malfunction, malpractice, malicious, and maleficent. Here’s an example of benign and malignant used correctly in the same sentence. Example: She was afraid the lump was a malignant tumor, but it turned out to be a benign cyst—totally harmless. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between benign and malignant.

Discover More

The term benign is used when describing tumors or growths that do not threaten the health of an individual.

Other Word Forms

• benignly adverb
• superbenign adjective
• unbenign adjective

Etymology

Origin of benign

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English benigne, from Anglo-French, Old French benigne (feminine), benin (masculine), from Latin benignus “kind, generous,” equivalent to beni-, combining form of bonus “good” ( bene- ) + -gnus, derivative of the base of gignere “to beget” ( genitor, genus ), hence, perhaps, “good by nature”; malign

Explanation

Someone or something that is benign is gentle, kind, mild, or unharmful: a benign soul wouldn't hurt a fly. Benign describes a range of qualities, all of them positive. When talking about a person, it means "gentle." In reference to weather or climate, it means "mild." In some other contexts, it simply means "not harmful" — you might speak of "a benign tumor" or "an environmentally benign chemical." The word comes from a Latin root benignus meaning "well born," but the implied meaning is "kind" or "pleasant" — it's hard to get mad at someone who has a benign disposition.

Example Sentences

This request apparently came from the White House counsel, and one has to wonder why it was thinking about the constitutionality of this sort of utterly benign, seemingly noncontroversial statute.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026

But any tightening is likely to be modest, and with inflation mostly benign across most of APAC, central banks can largely wait, they said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

"The initial shock has so far still been smaller," she said, while adding the backdrop now was more "benign".

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but as history’s proven, taking the time to look a bit deeper at totally benign, silly things can be a blast.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

Berlin would become a sort of benign amusement park for adults.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• benevolent
• favorable
• friendly
• gentle
• mild