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Medicine vocabulary · Diseases by System

Benign

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/bɪˈnaɪn/adjectiveCommon term

In medicine, benign means: Not cancer and not spreading to other parts of the body; also used for any condition that is not dangerous.

In Turkish: benign, iyi huylu, selim

How it is used

Used for tumors, lumps and biopsy results, and in diagnoses such as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Doctors also use it more broadly: 'a benign headache', 'the course was benign'.

Example sentences

  1. Good news: the biopsy shows the lump is benign.

  2. Most thyroid nodules are benign, but we still need to check this one.

Common collocations

  • benign tumor
  • benign lesion
  • benign condition
  • benign prostatic hyperplasia
  • malignantCancerous, and able to grow into nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body; also used for conditions that are very dangerous.
  • tumorAn abnormal lump or mass of tissue that forms when cells divide more than they should; it can be benign or malignant.
  • biopsyThe removal of a small piece of tissue from the body so that it can be examined under a microscope, often to check for cancer.
  • diagnosisThe decision about which disease or condition is causing a patient's problems, reached after taking a history, examining the patient and doing tests.

More terms: Diseases by System

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.