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benign adjective

Click to hear the UK pronunciation of this wordClick to hear the US pronunciation of this word/bɪˈnaɪn/ adj

Definition

pleasant and kind
a benign old lady
describes a growth that is not likely to cause death
a benign tumour
Compare: malignant

benignly adverb

Click to hear the UK pronunciation of this wordClick to hear the US pronunciation of this word/bɪˈnaɪn.li/ adv
The policeman smiled benignly at the motorist.

(Definition of benign adjective from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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