malignancy

noun

ma·lig·nan·cy | \-nən(t)-sē

plural malignancies

Definition of malignancy

1 : the quality or state of being malignant

2a : exhibition (as by a tumor) of malignant qualities : virulence

b : a malignant tumor

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about malignancy

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Examples of malignancy in a Sentence

the malignancy of the tumor The test revealed a malignancy in the patient's chest.

Recent Examples on the Web

Trumpian corruption, in this version, is almost a footnote to the baseline level of mischief, a kind of malignancy that inevitably erupts in an already-diseased culture. — Mark Schmitt, Vox, "Stop saying “drain the swamp”," 7 Sep. 2018 The difference was greatest among patients whose cancers harbored high levels of the genetic mutations Keytruda uses to target malignancy. — Melissa Healy, latimes.com, "For many lung cancer patients, Keytruda is a better initial treatment than chemotherapy, study finds," 5 June 2018 Lung cancer — the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. — is another tricky malignancy to find. — Claire Altschuler, chicagotribune.com, "Racing against cancer: New efforts to save lives with early detection," 21 May 2018 At some point in their treatment for cancer, between 17 and 75 percent of patients with malignancies that don’t affect the central nervous system report the sensation that a mental fog has set in. — Melissa Healy, Washington Post, "The story must be told.," 16 June 2018 Using ground-up cells from a patient’s tumor, researchers trained the dendritic cells to recognize and attack that specific malignancy. — Melissa Healy, Washington Post, "Personalized vaccine helps patients fight ovarian cancer," 22 Apr. 2018 Doctors caught the malignancies early and now Aslanian, 19, of La Habra is cancer-free following several rounds of chemotherapy. — Ben Brazil, latimes.com, "CHOC to hold prom night for teens battling cancer and for post-treatment survivors," 14 June 2018 Such malignancies account for the vast majority of the 600,000 cancer deaths that will occur in the United States this year. — Laurie Mcginley, ajc, "Researchers use immune-cell 'army' to battle another tough cancer," 4 June 2018 The consequences of not knowing range from providing less-effective treatment to accidentally spreading malignancies. — Betsy Mckay, WSJ, "CDC Eyes Review of Gynecological Cancer Screens," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'malignancy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.