WORD OF THE DAY
Someone or something that is benign is gentle, kind, mild, or unharmful: a benign soul wouldn't hurt a fly.
Benign describes a range of qualities, all of them positive. When talking about a person, it means "gentle." In reference to weather or climate, it means "mild." In some other contexts, it simply means "not harmful" — you might speak of "a benign tumor" or "an environmentally benign chemical." The word comes from a Latin root benignus meaning "well born," but the implied meaning is "kind" or "pleasant" — it's hard to get mad at someone who has a benign disposition.
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Vocabulary lists containing benign
Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a regimented community that is free from pain and suffering — but also free from joy, independence, and even color. When he is appointed the community's Receiver of Memory, Jonas begins to question everything he has been taught.
In this classic coming-of-age story, Scout Finch recounts her childhood in Maycomb, Alabama. When Scout's father is appointed to defend a black man in a high-profile trial, racial tensions in the small town come to a head.
Learn this list of words containing the common word roots bene ("good") and mal ("bad").
Learn these essential words that you'll encounter in literature, textbooks, class discussions, and more.
