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Benign vs Dormant - What's the difference?

benign | dormant |

As adjectives the difference between benign and dormant

is that benign is kind; gentle; mild while dormant is inactive, sleeping, asleep, suspended.

benign

English

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • Kind; gentle; mild.
  • * (of a climate or environment) mild and favorable
  • * not harmful to the environment: [in combination] an ozone-benign refrigerant.
  • (medicine) Not posing any serious threat to health; not particularly aggressive or recurrent.

    • Antonyms

    * malign * malignant

    Derived terms

    * benignly * benignant * benignity * benign neglect * benign tumor

    dormant

    English

    Alternative forms

    * dormaunt (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Inactive, sleeping, asleep, suspended.
    • Grass goes dormant during the winter, waiting for spring before it grows again.
    The bank account was dormant ; there had been no transactions in months.
    This volcano is dormant but not extinct.
  • * Burke
    • It is by lying dormant a long time, or being very rarely exercised, that arbitrary power steals upon a people.
  • (heraldry) In a sleeping posture; distinguished from couchant.
    • a lion dormant

    Related terms

    * dorm * dormancy * dormition * dormitive * dormitory

    Antonyms

    * active * active, extinct

    External links

    * * *

    Anagrams

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