adjective
- kind, especially to inferiors; gracious: a benignant sovereign.
- exerting a good influence; beneficial: the benignant authority of the new president.
- Pathology. benign.
adjective
- kind; gracious, as a king to his subjects
- a less common word for benign (def. 3), benign (def. 4)
c.1782, from benign + -ant (see -ent); on model of malignant. Related: Benignantly; benignancy.