malignant

malignant
1. Resistant to treatment; occurring in severe form, and frequently fatal; tending to become worse and leading to an ingravescent course. 2. In reference to a neoplasm, having the property of locally invasive and destructive growth and metastasis. [L. maligno, pres. p. -ans (ant-), to do anything maliciously]

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ma·lig·nant mə-'lig-nənt adj
1) tending to produce death or deterioration <\malignant malaria> esp tending to infiltrate, metastasize, and terminate fatally <\malignant tumors> compare BENIGN (1)
2) of unfavorable prognosis: not responding favorably to treatment <psychotic reactions with a \malignant trend>

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adj.
1. describing a tumour that invades and destroys the tissue in which it originates and can spread to other sites in the body via the blood-stream and lymphatic system. See cancer.
2. describing any disorder that becomes life-threatening if untreated (e.g. malignant hypertension). Compare benign.

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ma·lig·nant (mə-ligґnənt) [L. malignans acting maliciously] 1. tending to become progressively worse and to result in death. 2. having the properties of anaplasia, invasion, and metastasis; said of tumors.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Malignant — (from the Latin roots mal = bad and genus = born ) is a medical term used to describe a severe and progressively worsening disease. The term is most familiar as a description of cancer. A malignant tumor may be contrasted with a non cancerous… …   Wikipedia

  • malignant — ma*lig nant, a. [L. malignans, antis, p. pr. of malignare, malignari, to do or make maliciously. See {Malign}, and cf. {Benignant}.] 1. Disposed to do harm, inflict suffering, or cause distress; actuated by extreme malevolence or enmity;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • malignant — (adj.) 1560s, in reference to diseases, from M.Fr. malignant and directly from L.L. malignantem (nom. malignans) acting from malice, prp. of malignare injure maliciously (see MALIGN (Cf. malign) (v.)). Earlier in the church malignant followers of …   Etymology dictionary

  • Malignant — Ma*lig nant, n. 1. A man of extreme enmity or evil intentions. Hooker. [1913 Webster] 2. (Eng. Hist.) One of the adherents of Charles I. or Charles II.; so called by the opposite party. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • malignant — I adjective atrocious, baleful, baneful, barbarous, bitter, blackhearted, bloodthirsty, brutal, brutish, cancerous, caustic, cold blooded, coldhearted, consuming, corrosive, cruel, damaging, dangerous, deadly, death bringing, death dealing,… …   Law dictionary

  • malignant — malign, malevolent, *malicious, spiteful Analogous words: virulent, venomous (see POISONOUS): *envious, jealous: baneful, noxious, *pernicious: diabolical, devilish, *fiendish Antonyms: benignant Contrasted words: benign, * …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • malignant — [adj] diseased cancerous, deadly, destructive, fatal, internecine, lethal, mortal, pestilential, poisonous; concept 314 Ant. benign, harmless, uncancerous …   New thesaurus

  • malignant — ► ADJECTIVE 1) harmful; malevolent. 2) (of a tumour) tending to invade normal tissue or to recur after removal; cancerous. Contrasted with BENIGN(Cf. ↑benignly). ORIGIN originally in the sense «likely to rebel against God or authority»: from… …   English terms dictionary

  • malignant — [mə lig′nənt] adj. [LL malignans (gen. malignantis), prp. of malignare: see MALIGN] 1. having an evil influence; malign 2. wishing evil; very malevolent or malicious 3. very harmful 4. very dangerous or virulent; causing or likely to cause death; …   English World dictionary

  • malignant — [[t]məlɪ̱gnənt[/t]] 1) ADJ: usu ADJ n A malignant tumour or disease is out of control and likely to cause death. [MEDICAL] She developed a malignant breast tumour. Ant: benign 2) ADJ GRADED If you say that someone is malignant, you think they are …   English dictionary

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