1
a
: of a mild type or character that does not threaten health or life
especially
: not becoming cancerous
a benign lung tumor
b
: having no significant effect : harmless
environmentally benign
2
: of a gentle disposition : gracious
a benign teacher
Synonyms
Examples of benign in a Sentence
… substituting such benign power sources as the hybrid, the fuel cell, and the electric motor in place of … the internal-combustion engine.
—
Brock Yates, Car and Driver, May 2000
Rather than a benign fairytale creature that delivers babies, the marabou stork is an ugly, viciously predatory African bird that preys on flamingos …
—James Polk, New York Times Book Review, 11 Feb. 1996
… her pulled-back black hair had gone gray in strange distinct bands, but she seemed much as he remembered her, solid and energetic, with a certain benign defiance.
—John Updike, New Yorker, 23 May 1988
When she chose to smile on me, I always wanted to thank her. The action was so graceful and inclusively benign.
—Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969
We were happy to hear that the tumor was benign.
around campus he's known as a real character, but one whose eccentricities are entirely benign
Brock Yates, Car and Driver, May 2000
Rather than a benign fairytale creature that delivers babies, the marabou stork is an ugly, viciously predatory African bird that preys on flamingos …
—James Polk, New York Times Book Review, 11 Feb. 1996
… her pulled-back black hair had gone gray in strange distinct bands, but she seemed much as he remembered her, solid and energetic, with a certain benign defiance.
—John Updike, New Yorker, 23 May 1988
When she chose to smile on me, I always wanted to thank her. The action was so graceful and inclusively benign.
—Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969
We were happy to hear that the tumor was benign.
around campus he's known as a real character, but one whose eccentricities are entirely benign
Recent Examples on the Web
But however benign Trump may be for the industry, higher U.S. production in 2025 will largely be down to the spirit of private enterprise.
—Gaurav Sharma, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Meanwhile, Cotton — who recently underwent surgery to remove a benign tumor — last posted about Wood on his birthday on Instagram in October.
—Daniela Avila, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
But the relatively benign outcomes of Trump’s first term in Latin America may now be breeding a certain complacency about his second.
—Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
Whenever Donald Trump promotes some controversial idea or uses inflammatory rhetoric, many of his supporters offer some benign interpretation about what is really going to happen.
—Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for benign 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Gaurav Sharma, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Meanwhile, Cotton — who recently underwent surgery to remove a benign tumor — last posted about Wood on his birthday on Instagram in October.
—Daniela Avila, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
But the relatively benign outcomes of Trump’s first term in Latin America may now be breeding a certain complacency about his second.
—Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
Whenever Donald Trump promotes some controversial idea or uses inflammatory rhetoric, many of his supporters offer some benign interpretation about what is really going to happen.
—Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for benign
Dictionary Entries Near benign
Cite this Entry
“Benign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benign. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
benign
adjective
be·nign
bi-ˈnīn 
1
: of a mild type or character that does not threaten health or life
benign malaria
a benign liver cyst
2
: having a good prognosis : responding favorably to treatment
a benign psychosis
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share