Meaning

adjective not dangerous to health; not recurrent or progressive (especially of a tumor)

adjective pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence

adjective kindness of disposition or manner

originFrom Middle English benigne, benygne, from Old French benigne, from Latin benignus (“kind, good”), from bene (“well”) + genus (“origin, kind”). Compare malign.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0