adjective

benign

/bɪˈnaɪn/ · say it: bih·NINE

not harmful; not cancerous

In Medicine & Health

In more detail

1. (adjective) not harmful or serious; not causing danger or pain

2. (adjective) kind and gentle; not mean or harmful toward others

Examples

1. The doctor said the tumor was benign and nothing to worry about.
2. She has a benign personality and everyone likes her.

How to use benign

Benign is used in medical contexts to describe non-cancerous growths or diseases, and more broadly to describe something that poses no threat or has a positive, kind quality. It often appears in formal or technical writing, particularly in healthcare settings, but also in literary or general discourse when describing a gentle or favorable presence or influence.

Common phrases

benign tumor
benign neglect
benign condition
benign environment
benign presence

Synonyms

harmless · innocuous · mild · gentle · kind

Opposites

malign · harmful · malignant

Word family

benignly (adverb) · benignity (noun) · benignness (noun)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse benign with benevolent; while both can mean kind, benevolent emphasizes actively doing good, whereas benign emphasizes being harmless or not causing suffering.

Learn it for good

Save this word in WordVale and it comes back for review right before you'd forget it — with pronunciation, real examples, and optional translations. One purchase, no subscription.

Get WordValeFREE 7-DAY TRIAL · iPHONE & iPAD