benign
UK: bɪˈnaɪn | US: bɪˈnaɪn
adj. gentle or kind in disposition
adj. (of a disease) not harmful in effect
adj. favorable or auspicious
The word "benign" traces back to Latin benignus ("kind, generous"), combining bene ("well") + -gnus (a suffix denoting innate quality). It originally described people with a gentle nature, later extending to medical contexts (e.g., non-threatening tumors) and favorable conditions. The morpheme ben persists in English (e.g., "benefit," "benevolent"), while -ign is rare but echoes in words like "malign" (its antonym, from malus "bad").
The teacher gave the student a benign smile after the honest mistake.
The biopsy confirmed the tumor was benign.
The weather was benign, perfect for the outdoor wedding.
His benign leadership style fostered team creativity.
Despite its size, the spider was entirely benign.