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

Spoiled soil The biggest threat to soil is industrial farming, argues Rubin, who says the heart of large-scale food production is monocropping, the practice of growing a single crop — usually corn, soybeans or wheat — repeatedly on the same land. —Matt Alderton, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026

In Brazil, higher fuel costs are taking a toll on soybean farmers, leading to a surge in prices and fueling anxiety in China, the world’s biggest soy buyer. —Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 17 Mar. 2026

But farming communities nationwide have been adversely affected by the president's tariff policy, as global trading partners scaled back agricultural purchases like soybeans in retaliation for higher levees. —Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026

According to the National Park Service, the Mississippi River Basin accounts for 92% of America's agricultural exports, including 78% of the world's exports of grains and soybeans. —Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 17 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