Definition of malignant Malignant

/mʌlɪˈgnʌnt/ - [mulignunt] - ma•lig•nant

We found 11 definitions of malignant from 6 different sources.

What does malignant mean?

Adjective
malignant - dangerous to health; characterized by progressive and uncontrolled growth (especially of a tumor)
		benign pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence; "a benign smile"; "the benign sky"; "the benign influence of pure air"
		pathology the branch of medical science that studies the causes and nature and effects of diseases

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malignant (a.)
Disposed to do harm, inflict suffering, or cause distress; actuated by extreme malevolence or enmity; virulently inimical; bent on evil; malicious.
malignant (a.)
Characterized or caused by evil intentions; pernicious.
malignant (a.)
Tending to produce death; threatening a fatal issue; virulent; as, malignant diphtheria.
malignant (n.)
A man of extrems enmity or evil intentions.
malignant (n.)
One of the adherents of Charles L. or Charles LL.; -- so called by the opposite party.

malignant
Tumors that can invade and destroy nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body.

malignant
In English history, one of the adherents of the house of Stuart; a cavalier; so called by the opposite party.

In medicine, malignant is a clinical term that is used to describe an illness that quickly kills the patient. Strictly speaking, a malignant tumour is a tumour that is able to invade nearby tissues and spread to tissues that are not nearby. Not all patients diagnosed with malignant tumours die because of the improved treatments available. The actual prognosis depends of the type of tumour, its differentiation, and how bad the disease is. The term malignant is typically applied to neoplasms that show aggressive behaviour characterised by local invasion or distant metastasis.