soybean

noun

soy·​bean ˈsȯi-ˌbēn How to pronounce soybean (audio)
variants or chiefly British soya bean
ˈsȯi-ə- How to pronounce soybean (audio)
: 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

Illustration of soybean

Examples of soybean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The company, founded in 2004, uses organic, non-GMO soybeans and supplies grocery stores, restaurants and other food service businesses nationwide. — Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Wheat is up roughly 20% this month, and soybeans have added more than 8%. — Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Then there’s Baicapil, a blend of baikal skullcap (a flowering plant native to East Asia), wheat germ, and soybean germ extracts intended to encourage a healthy hair-growth cycle. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026 Across Europe, heat and water shortages have damaged maize, soybean and sunflower crops, with some harvest forecasts falling 14% below recent averages. — Shooka Bidarian, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for soybean

Word History

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of soybean was in 1795

Phrases Containing soybean

Rhymes for soybean

See All Rhymes for soybean

Browse Nearby Words

soyate
soybean
soybean cyst nematode
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Cite this Entry

“Soybean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soybean. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

soybean

noun
soy·​bean ˈsȯi-ˈbēn How to pronounce soybean (audio)
-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 How to pronounce soybean (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on soybean

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about soybean

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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