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

Scientists can genetically modify corn, soybeans and cotton — three field crops that account for the vast majority of glyphosate use in the United States — to choose which crops survive and which die after glyphosate treatment. —Michal Ruprecht, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026

It’s also made from soybeans, but fermenting the beans results in a dense block with a slightly funky flavor. —Riley Wofford, Martha Stewart, 23 Feb. 2026

Joe farms about 700 acres of mostly corn and soybeans, some surrounding the vineyard and others within 4 miles of the vineyard. —Michael Johnson, Twin Cities, 23 Feb. 2026

However, $11 billion of those grants are eligible for commodity crops such as corn, wheat and soybeans, largely grown in the Midwest and Plains states. —Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 23 Feb. 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