 3 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
benign
adjective
1: not dangerous to health; not recurrent or progressive
(especially of a tumor) [ant: {malignant}]
2: pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence; "a benign
smile"; "the benign sky"; "the benign influence of pure
air" [syn: {benignant}] [ant: {malign}]
3: of disposition or manner; "the benign ruler of millions";
"benign intentions"
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Benign \Be*nign"\, adjective [OE. benigne, bening, OF. benigne, F.
b['e]nin, fem. b['e]nigne, fr. L. benignus, contr. from
benigenus; bonus good + root of genus kind. See {Bounty}, and
{Genus}.]
1. Of a kind or gentle disposition; gracious; generous;
favorable; benignant.
Creator bounteous and benign. --Milton.
2. Exhibiting or manifesting kindness, gentleness, favor,
etc.; mild; kindly; salutary; wholesome.
Kind influences and benign aspects. --South.
3. Of a mild type or character; as, a benign disease.
Syn: Kind; propitious; bland; genial; salubrious; favorable
salutary; gracious; liberal.
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
109 Moby Thesaurus words for "benign":
Christian, Christlike, Christly, accommodating, affable,
affectionate, agreeable, amiable, amicable, auspicious, beneficent,
beneficial, benevolent, benignant, bland, bracing, bright,
brotherly, charitable, clement, compassionate, complaisant,
compliant, congenial, constitutional, cooperative, cordial,
curable, decent, dexter, fair, favorable, favoring, forbearing,
fortunate, fraternal, friendly, full of promise, generous, genial,
gentle, golden, good, good for, good-hearted, gracious, happy,
harmless, health-enhancing, health-preserving, healthful, healthy,
human, humane, hygeian, hygienic, indulgent, innocent, innocuous,
inoffensive, invigorating, kind, kindhearted, kindly,
kindly-disposed, loving, lucky, merciful, mild, neighborly, nice,
nonmalignant, nonpoisonous, nontoxic, nonvirulent, obliging,
of good omen, of happy portent, of promise, overindulgent,
overpermissive, permissive, promising, propitious, prosperous,
refreshing, salubrious, salutary, sanitary, softhearted,
sympathetic, sympathizing, tender, tenderhearted, tonic,
undamaging, unhurtful, uninjurious, unobnoxious, warm,
warm-hearted, warmhearted, well-affected, well-disposed,
well-intentioned, well-meaning, well-meant, white, wholesome
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