Benign

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Benign \Be*nign"\, a. [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.


        [1913 Webster]
  
              Creator bounteous and benign.         --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Exhibiting or manifesting kindness, gentleness, favor,
        etc.; mild; kindly; salutary; wholesome.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Kind influences and benign aspects.   --South.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Of a mild type or character; as, a benign disease.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: Kind; propitious; bland; genial; salubrious; favorable
          salutary; gracious; liberal.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  benign
       adj 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 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