Malignance

2 definitions found

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

  Malignance \Ma*lig"nance\, Malignancy \Ma*lig"nan*cy\, n. [See
     {Malignant}.]
     1. The state or quality of being malignant; extreme
        malevolence; bitter enmity; malice; disposition toward
        evil; intense ill will; as, malignancy of heart.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     2. Unfavorableness; evil nature.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The malignancy of my fate might perhaps distemner
              yours.                                --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Med.) Virulence; tendency to a fatal issue; as, the
        malignancy of an ulcer or of a fever.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Hence: (Med.) A cancerous tumor that is spreading beyond
        the point of origin.
  
     Syn: malignant tumor, malignant neoplasm, metastatic tumor.
          [WordNet 1.5]
  
     5. The state of being a malignant.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  malignance
       n 1: (medicine) a malignant state; progressive and resistant to
            treatment and tending to cause death [syn: {malignancy}]
       2: quality of being disposed to evil; intense ill will [syn: {malignity},
           {malignancy}] [ant: {benignity}, {benignity}]