- showing kindliness; genial
- (of soil, climate, etc) mild; gentle
- favourable; propitious
- (of a tumour, etc) not threatening to life or health; not malignant
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
be•nign /bɪˈnaɪn/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- having or showing a gentle nature;
gracious:a benign smile. - mild;
comfortable:benign weather. - Pathologynot malignant:a benign tumor.
be•nign
(bi nīn′),USA pronunciation adj.
be•nign′ly, adv.
- having a kindly disposition;
gracious:a benign king. - showing or expressive of gentleness or kindness:a benign smile.
- favorable;
propitious:a series of benign omens and configurations in the heavens. - (of weather) salubrious;
healthful;
pleasant or beneficial. - Pathologynot malignant;
self-limiting.
- Latin benignus kind, generous, equivalent. to beni-, combining form of bonus good (see bene-) + -gnus, derivative of the base of gignere to beget (see genitor, genus), hence, perh., "good by nature''; compare malign
- Anglo-French, Old French benigne (feminine), benin (masculine)
- Middle English benigne 1275–1325
- 1. good, kindly, benignant, benevolent, tender, humane, gentle, compassionate.
- 3. sinister.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
benign /bɪˈnaɪn/ adj
'benign' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
acoustic neuroma
- adenoma
- affable
- benignant
- benignity
- fibroid
- fibroma
- osteoma
- papilloma
- angioma
- benevolent
- chlorosis
- chondroma
- chorioma
- fibroadenoma
- fibrocystic disease
- gracious
- harmless
- indolent
- infectious mononucleosis
- insulinoma
- kind
- kindly
- leiomyoma
- lipoma
- lymphangioma
- malign
- malignant
- neurofibroma
- prostatism
- pseudonephritis
- rhabdomyoma
- tempered
- unbenign
- wen
- sinister