word
Medical
benign
beh-NYN
bɪˈnaɪnListen
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Syllable breakdown
benign
Dictionary meaning
Not harmful in effect; in medicine, refers to a tumour or growth that is not cancerous and does not invade neighbouring tissues or metastasise.
History and origin
Latin — benignus (kind, gentle).
Common mispronunciations
BEE-nignBEN-ig-un
Pronunciation tips
The 'g' is silent; rhymes with 'nine'.
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