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

China agreed to purchase 12 million metric tons of soybeans in the final two months of this year and 25 million metric tons in 2026, 2027 and 2028 -- on par with levels before the trade war. —Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2025

Farmers have experienced multi-billion-dollar declines in exports with their largest overseas markets after the tariffs were imposed, and soybean farmers were particularly harmed when China retaliated against the tax hikes. —Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025

The White House said in November that China would purchase at least 12 million metric tons of soybeans in the last two months of 2025. —Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025

Bloomberg previously reported that after a series of orders placed in late October — the first of this season — China’s purchases of American soybeans appeared to have stalled. —Hadriana Lowenkron, Fortune, 7 Dec. 2025

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