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

The humble soybean has become a flashpoint in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies after Beijing ceased all purchases from the US. —Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025

That couldn’t come at worse time for soybean farmers, with the harvest season in full swing and some farms reporting strong yields. —Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025

Illinois is the top soybean growing state, but Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota are also large producers. —Danny Bakst, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2025

In 2011, the farm switch to corn, soybeans, wheat, beef cattle and hay. —Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 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