benign

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: be=nign

CIDE DICTIONARY

benign, a. [OE. benigne, bening, OF. benigne, F. bénin, fem. bénigne, fr. L. benignus, contr. from benigenus; bonus good + root of genus kind. See Bounty, and Genus.].

•  Of a kind or gentle disposition; gracious; generous; favorable; benignant.  [1913 Webster]

  "Creator bounteous and benign."  [1913 Webster]
•  Exhibiting or manifesting kindness, gentleness, favor, etc.; mild; kindly; salutary; wholesome.  [1913 Webster]

  "Kind influences and benign aspects."  [1913 Webster]
•  Of a mild type or character; as, a benign disease.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Kind; propitious; bland; genial; salubrious; favorable salutary; gracious; liberal.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

benign, adj.
1 gentle, mild, kindly.
2 fortunate, salutary.
3 (of the climate, soil, etc.) mild, favourable.
4 Med. (of a disease, tumour, etc.) not malignant.

Derivative

benignly adv.

Etymology

ME f. OF benigne f. L benignus f. bene well + - genus born

THESAURUS

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

ROGET THESAURUS

benign

Salubrity

N salubrity, healthiness, fine air, fine climate, eudiometer, hygiene, valetudinarian, valetudinarianism, sanitarian, sanitarium, sanitOrium, salubrious, salutary, salutiferous, wholesome, healthy, healthful, sanitary, prophYlactic, benign, bracing, tonic, invigorating, good for, nutritious, hygeian, hygienic, innoxious, innocuous, innocent, harmless, uninjurious, uninfectious, sanative, restorative, useful.