What term describes a tumor that is not malignant or cancerous?

The term that describes a tumor that is not malignant or cancerous is "benign." Benign tumors are characterized by their non-invasive nature; they do not spread to surrounding tissues or metastasize to distant parts of the body. Instead, they typically grow slowly and remain localized. This distinguishes them from malignant tumors, which are cancerous, can invade nearby tissues, and have the potential to spread to other areas of the body.

In contrast, the term "malignant" refers specifically to tumors that are cancerous and aggressive. "Metastatic" describes cancer that has spread from its original site to other parts of the body. Lastly, "cancerous" is a general term that implies a tumor is malignant. Therefore, benign is the accurate term for a tumor that does not exhibit these cancerous properties, highlighting its relatively harmless nature compared to malignant variants.