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

Hailing from Heirloom Kitchen, a 2024 USA TODAY Restaurant of the Year, Yan only offers a prix fixe menu, with dishes such as lotus root croquette, black soybean pudding, and honey shrimp toast. —Usa Today Network, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026

Chinese researchers are developing corn with higher protein that could replace significant amounts of soybean imports. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026

Because of rising temperatures, corn, soybean, and wheat production could decline as much as 50 percent by the end of the century. —Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026

Some are void of filling, coated in the matcha or soybean powders or accompanied by dip. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 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