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

Brazil and other big commodities exporters are, in part, hoping to repeat what happened in Mr. Trump’s first term, when China purchased more soybeans, iron ore and other products from Latin America in the face of U.S. tariffs. —Chris Buckley, New York Times, 12 May 2025

The others include milk, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. —Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025

In Racine, Wisconsin, where farming roots run deeper than the Civil War, soybean farmers are watching the trade war with growing anxiety. —Doc Louallen, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2025

The lab has worked in more than 30 African countries, helping spread expertise and technology to continue growing the industry, from the plants in the ground to the manufacturing processes needed to unlock the soybean’s versatile protein and oil. —Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 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