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

Nitrogen fertilizer, for example, is used on corn but not soybeans. —Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 24 Mar. 2026

The cost of taking corn and soybeans to market, whether via truck, barge or rail, also goes up along with oil prices. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026

Josh Manske, who grows corn and soybeans in southwest Iowa, noted the massive swings in the price of his crops following months of trade negotiations. —Gordon Ebanks, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026

By the end of their run, only corn and soybeans were profitable. —Matt Alderton, USA Today, 20 Mar. 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