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 duties target politically sensitive American states and include products such as soybeans from Louisiana, home to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, as well as agricultural products, poultry and motorcycles. —Arkansas Online, 26 June 2025

Soy Products Soy protein isolated from soybeans contains about 496 mg of oxalates per 3.5-ounce serving, while soybean crackers have around 207 mg per serving. —Lindsey Desoto, Verywell Health, 22 June 2025

The study assessed six staple crops – maize (corn), soybeans, rice, wheat, cassava and sorghum – and found that only rice might avoid substantial losses due to rising temperatures. —Doyle Rice, USA Today, 21 June 2025

While most kinds of beans are indigenous to Central and South America, soybeans are native to Asia, while lentils and fava beans originated in the Fertile Crescent and Eastern Mediterranean. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 19 June 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