soybean

noun

soy·​bean ˈsȯi-ˌbēn 

variants or chiefly British soya bean

ˈsȯi-ə- 

: a hairy annual Asian legume (Glycine max) widely grown for its oil-rich proteinaceous seeds and for forage and soil improvement

also : its seed

Illustration of soybean

Examples of soybean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Studies in Minnesota have shown Kernza can absorb 96% more nitrate from soils than soybeans and corn. —Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 6 Jan. 2026

In June of that year, classes were interrupted at a school located near soybean farms in the state of Pará for, for the third time, because students had been exposed to chemicals sprayed on nearby fields. —Carolina Abbott Galvão, The Dial, 6 Jan. 2026

Three years ago, a bushel of soybeans sold for about $14. —Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 5 Jan. 2026

Parana is where the Brazilian soybean boom started 60 years ago. —Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing soybean

• soybean oil

Rhymes for soybean

• agin
• alkene
• allene
• ameen
• amin
• amine
• arene
• athene
• baleen
• beeline
• benzene
• between

Kids Definition

soybean

noun

soy·​bean ˈsȯi-ˈbēn 

-ˌbēn

: a hairy annual Asian plant of the legume family widely grown for its edible seeds rich in oil and proteins, as food for livestock, and for soil improvement

also : its seed

Medical Definition

soybean

noun

soy·​bean ˈsȯi-ˌbēn 

variants also soya bean

: a hairy annual Asian legume (Glycine max) grown for its oil-rich proteinaceous seeds and for forage and soil improvement

also : its seed