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

Why soybeans matter Soybeans are one of the country’s biggest agricultural exports, and China is the most important buyer. — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026

China has already resumed large-scale buying of American soybeans under a deal struck last year to buy 25 million metric tons annually. — Reuters, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026

As Hamshaw explains it, the microorganisms used to make tempeh produce enzymes that begin breaking soybean proteins into smaller components during fermentation, including peptides and amino acids. — Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026

The deal included commitments from Beijing to purchase 25 million metric tons of American soybeans, while Washington offered to sell Boeing jets. — Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 24 Sep. 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
• arene
• athene
• baleen
• beeline
• benzene
• between
• bromine

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