From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :
Benignant \Be*nig"nant\, a. [LL. benignans, p. pr. of benignare,
from L. benignus. See Benign.]
Kind; gracious; favorable. -- Be*nig"nant*ly, adv.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) :
benignant
adj 1: pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence; "a benign
smile"; "the benign sky"; "the benign influence of pure
air" [syn: benign, benignant] [ant: malign]
2: characterized by kindness and warm courtesy especially of a
king to his subjects; "our benignant king" [syn: benignant,
gracious]