benign

pronunciation

How to pronounce benign in British English: UK [bɪˈnaɪn]word uk audio image

How to pronounce benign in American English: US [bɪˈnaɪn] word us audio image

  • Adjective:
    not dangerous to health; not recurrent or progressive (especially of a tumor)
    pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence
    of disposition or manner

Word Origin

benign (adj.)
early 14c., from Old French benigne (12c., "kind, benign, merciful, gracious;" Modern French bénin, fem. bénigne), from Latin benignus "kindly, kindhearted, friendly, generous," literally "well born," from bene "well" (see bene-) + gignere "to bear, beget," from genus "birth" (see genus). For similar sense evolution, compare gentle, kind (adj.), generous. Related: Benignly.

Antonym

adj.

malign

Example

1. Will the new , regulated world be as benign ?
2. But that needs decades of high growth , tight budgets and benign interest rates .
3. Miners can hardly relocate to more fiscally benign canada , for example .
4. Britain 's benign climate and stable politics makes it a miner 's dream .
5. Under his benign aegis , data.gov.uk was developed by a small group of programmers using open-source methods .

more: >How to Use "benign" with Example Sentences