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

This has affected the production at nearly 70% of wheat farms, 29% of soybean farms, and 26% of corn. —Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026

It’s made by steaming soybeans and then fermenting them with beneficial bacteria. —Morgan Pearson, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2026

That includes China, a key soybean purchaser, which temporarily crippled the market late last year. —Samantha Subin,seema Mody, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026

Prebooking is more common in the Midwest, where corn and soybeans are usually grown. —George Petras, USA Today, 19 Apr. 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