Definition of BENIGN (original) (raw)
1
a
: of a mild type or character that does not threaten health or life
especially : not becoming cancerous
b
: having no significant effect : harmless
3
a
: showing kindness and gentleness
Did you know?
Benign comes from Latin benignus, which was formed from bene, meaning "well," and gignere, "to beget." Gignere is the root of such English words as genius and germ.
Synonyms
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
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Examine the clues, discard the red herrings, ignore the obvious, and clock the suspicious behavior of that seemingly benign neighbor. —Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 2 Nov. 2024 While some reasons are more benign than others, the behavior can signal larger health concerns, says Alt. —Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024 Its accelerated path toward Europe has been spurred by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which shattered many Moldovans’ image of Russia as a benign big brother and created a determination in Brussels to prevent Moscow making further political inroads into formerly Communist states. —Christian Edwards, CNN, 21 Oct. 2024 These benign small and firm white bumps appear on the face—usually around the eyes. —Carley Millhone, Health, 19 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for benign 
Word History
Etymology
Middle English benigne, from Anglo-French, from Latin benignus, from bene + gignere to beget — more at kin
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of benign was in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near benign
Cite this Entry
“Benign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benign. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.
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Last Updated: 11 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences
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