Word: benign (adjective)

Associations

The word "benign" means kind, gentle, or not harmful. It is often used to describe something that is not dangerous or serious. For example, in medicine, a "benign tumor" is a growth that is not cancerous and usually not harmful. In everyday language, "benign" can describe a person’s behavior as kind or harmless.

• Example 1: The doctor said the lump was benign, so there was no need to worry. (Here, benign means not harmful.)
• Example 2: She has a benign smile that makes everyone feel comfortable. (Here, benign means kind or gentle.)
• Example 3: The weather was benign, perfect for a picnic. (Here, benign means mild or not harmful.)

Synonym: "harmless" is a close synonym. The difference is that "benign" can also mean kind or gentle, while "harmless" strictly means not causing harm.

Substitution

You can replace "benign" with:

• harmless (when meaning not causing harm)
• kind or gentle (when describing personality)
• mild (when describing conditions like weather)

Changing the word changes the focus slightly. For example, "mild weather" focuses on temperature, while "benign weather" might suggest no danger.

Deconstruction

The word "benign" comes from Latin: "bene" meaning "well" and "genus" meaning "born." So, it literally means "well-born" or good in nature. This helps explain why it means kind or not harmful.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where something might look scary but is actually benign?
• How would you describe a person who is benign? What kind of behavior would they show?
• Have you ever heard the word "benign" used in a medical context? What did it mean there?