---
title: benign — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «benign» in the school dictionary: Benign means kind, gentle and not harmful. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# benign

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Benign, benign lump, old man, doctor, lump, we · **What happens:** mean, not be, not spread, give, say, be · **To what, where:** cancer, benign smile, benign influence, those · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«benign» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [benign in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/benign.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Benign means kind, gentle and not harmful.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:benign:m1:1
# text = Benign means kind, gentle and not harmful.
1	Benign	benign	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	kind	kind	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
5	gentle	gentle	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	conj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
7	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	harmful	harmful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Benign |  |  |  |  | kind *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: medicine — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A benign lump or tumour is not cancer and does not spread.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:benign:m2:1
# text = A benign lump or tumour is not cancer and does not spread.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	benign	benign	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	lump	lump	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
4	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	tumour	tumour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
7	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	cancer	cancer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
10	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	_
11	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	12	advmod	_	_
12	spread	spread	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **is a** | present | a benign lump or tumour | cancer |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **spread** | present · do-support | a benign lump or tumour *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The old man gave a benign smile.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:benign:x1:1
# text = The old man gave a benign smile.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	gave	give	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	benign	benign	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	smile	smile	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | past | the old man | a benign smile |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent smile=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The doctor said the lump was benign, so we were relieved.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:benign:x2:1
# text = The doctor said the lump was benign, so we were relieved.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	doctor	doctor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	lump	lump	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	benign	benign	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	so	so	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
10	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
11	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	relieved	relieved	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | the doctor |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | past | the lump |  |  |  |  | benign *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **is** | past | we |  |  |  |  | relieved *property* | tree rules |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The weather was benign all week.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:benign:x3:1
# text = The weather was benign all week.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	weather	weather	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	benign	benign	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	det	_	_
6	week	week	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the weather |  |  |  | week | benign *property* | tree rules |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Badger looked at Mole with a benign expression.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:benign:x4:1
# text = Badger looked at Mole with a benign expression.
1	Badger	Badger	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	looked	look	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	at	at	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Mole	Mole	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	benign	benign	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	expression	expression	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **look** | past | Badger |  |  |  |  | with a benign expression; at Mole | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent at mole=Theme |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Most spiders in Britain are benign to people.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:benign:x5:1
# text = Most spiders in Britain are benign to people.
1	Most	most	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	2	amod	_	_
2	spiders	spider	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Britain	Britain	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	benign	benign	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Most spiders in Britain |  |  |  |  | to people; benign *property* | tree rules |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Her presence seemed to have a benign influence on those there.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:benign:x6:1
# text = Her presence seemed to have a benign influence on those there.
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	presence	presence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	seemed	seem	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	have	have	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	benign	benign	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	influence	influence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
9	on	on	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	those	that	PRON	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	8	nmod	_	_
11	there	there	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	10	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **seem** | past | Her presence |  |  |  |  |  | vn seem-109-1-1-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Theme clause=Attribute |
| 2 | **have** | to-infinitive | Her presence *not said here* | a benign influence |  | those |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent influence=Patient |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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