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

More recently, other experts have advised American farmers to go all out growing soybeans, supposing they will be needed by the Chinese or somebody. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Lehman grows soybeans, corn, oats and hay on the land his family has worked for five generations. — Justin Papp, CNBC, 30 July 2026

Eis said that a few alternatives, particularly for anyone who’s allergic to eggs or who is vegan, include soybeans, quinoa, or potatoes, which all contain choline. — Amber Raiken, Verywell Health, 30 July 2026

Go to a large soybean farm in Goias or Mato Grosso states in Brazil and there will be no public road, school or drainage ditch and probably no school. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 July 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