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

With production expected to rise — the Brazilian soybean crop is projected to reach record levels this year — China could increase its imports from Brazil and other South American countries like Argentina, which is currently the world’s third-largest soybean producer after Brazil and the US. —Rosa De Acosta, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025

China went elsewhere for soybeans Soybeans are where that damage is most visible. —Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 12 Apr. 2025

On March 4, Beijing revoked import approvals for three major U.S. soybean exporters. —Linggong Kong, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2025

The escalating trade war has sent buyers looking elsewhere for soybeans, the biggest agricultural commodity exported by the U.S., Reuters reported. —Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 9 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