nezhoubný

Nezhoubný is a Czech adjective meaning "benign" or "non-malignant." It is most commonly used in a medical context to describe a tumor or growth that is not cancerous. Unlike malignant tumors, benign tumors do not invade surrounding tissues or spread to other parts of the body. They are typically slow-growing and can often be removed surgically.

The term nezhoubný is the direct opposite of zhoubný, which means "malignant" or "cancerous." When referring to medical conditions, the distinction between nezhoubný and zhoubný is crucial for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. A nezhoubný condition generally indicates a less serious and more treatable health issue compared to a zhoubný one.

Outside of medicine, nezhoubný can occasionally be used metaphorically to describe something that is not harmful or destructive, though this usage is less common. For instance, one might describe a minor disagreement as a "nezhoubný spor" (a non-harmful dispute), implying it poses no significant threat. However, its primary and most widely understood application remains within the field of healthcare.