malignancy

noun

ma·​lig·​nan·​cy mə-ˈlig-nən(t)-sē 

plural malignancies

1

: the quality or state of being malignant

2

a

: exhibition (as by a tumor) of malignant qualities : virulence

b

: a malignant tumor

Synonyms

• cattiness
• despite
• hatefulness
• malevolence
• malice
• maliciousness
• malignance
• malignity
• meanness
• nastiness
• spite
• spitefulness
• spleen
• venom
• viciousness

Examples of malignancy in a Sentence

the malignancy of the tumor

The test revealed a malignancy in the patient's chest.

Recent Examples on the Web

Grail’s test identified malignancy in 1,453 of the cancer cases, missing it in 1,370. —Siddhartha Mukherjee, New Yorker, 16 June 2025

Tumors of the prostate are the most common serious malignancy identified in men: Even aggressive ones like Biden’s are diagnosed roughly 25,000 times a year in the United States. —Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2025

Those who have genetic or hereditary prostate cancer may have malignancies appear earlier or grow at a faster rate. —Chad De Guzman, Time, 19 May 2025

That an 82-year-old man who had aged out of prostate-cancer-screening tests has been found to have an advanced malignancy should not be surprising. —Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

malignancy

noun

ma·​lig·​nan·​cy mə-ˈlig-nən-sē 

plural malignancies

1

: the quality or state of being malignant

2

: a malignant tumor

Medical Definition

malignancy

noun

ma·​lig·​nan·​cy mə-ˈlig-nən-sē 

plural malignancies

1

: the quality or state of being malignant

2

a

: exhibition (as by a tumor) of malignant qualities : virulence

b

: a malignant tumor