benign
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English
Etymology
From Middle English benigne, benygne, from Old French benigne, from Latin benignus (“kind, good”), from bene (“well”) + genus (“origin, kind”). Compare malign.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bɪˈnaɪn/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
- Rhymes: -aɪn
Adjective
benign (comparative benigner or more benign, superlative benignest or most benign)
- Kind; gentle; mild.
- 1826, [Mary Shelley], chapter IX, in The Last Man. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC:
- But though we both entertained these ideas, we differed in their application. Resentment added also a sting to my censure; and I reprobated Raymond's conduct in severe terms. Adrian was more benign, more considerate.
- 1982 December 18, Nancy Walker, “Doodle, Turkey and Pumpkin”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 22, page 6:
- I people my world with benign spirits. Everything talks to me and I respond to it.
- (of a climate or environment) mild and favorable
- (in combination) Not harmful to the environment.
- an ozone-benign refrigerant
- (medicine) Not posing any serious threat to health; not particularly aggressive or recurrent.
- Synonym: non-malignant
- Antonym: malignant
- a benign tumor
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations
kind, gentle, mild
|
(medicine) not posing any serious threat to health — see also malignant
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin benignus or French bénin.
Adjective
benign m or n (feminine singular benignă, masculine plural benigni, feminine and neuter plural benigne)
Declension
Declension of benign
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
nominative/ accusative |
indefinite | benign | benignă | benigni | benigne | ||
definite | benignul | benigna | benignii | benignele | |||
genitive/ dative |
indefinite | benign | benigne | benigni | benigne | ||
definite | benignului | benignei | benignilor | benignelor |
Swedish
Adjective
benign (not comparable)
Declension
Inflection of benign | |||
---|---|---|---|
Indefinite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative2 |
Common singular | benign | — | — |
Neuter singular | benignt | — | — |
Plural | benigna | — | — |
Masculine plural3 | benigne | — | — |
Definite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
Masculine singular1 | benigne | — | — |
All | benigna | — | — |
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic |
References
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/aɪn
- Rhymes:English/aɪn/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with collocations
- en:Medicine
- Romanian terms borrowed from Latin
- Romanian terms derived from Latin
- Romanian terms borrowed from French
- Romanian terms derived from French
- Romanian lemmas
- Romanian adjectives
- ro:Medicine
- Swedish lemmas
- Swedish adjectives
- sv:Medicine
- Swedish uncomparable adjectives