Word of the Day

: December 22, 2021

benign

adjective bih-NYNE

What It Means

Benign means "not causing harm or injury." In medicine, it refers to tumors that are not cancerous.

// The email seemed benign, but it was discovered to be from a hacker.

// The tumor was benign.

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benign in Context

"Today all apps and software, no matter how benign they appear, are designed to maximize data collection." — Shoshana Zuboff, The New York Times, 14 Nov. 2021

Did You Know?

Benign comes from Latin benignus, which was formed from bene, meaning "well," and gignere, "to beget." Gignere is the root of such English words as genius and germ.