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

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 companies are regulated on the federal level by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC, which has historically focused on overseeing soybean futures and oil derivatives. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026 During this time, prices for other row crops, including corn and soybeans, also fell. — Sj Guest Editorial, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026 Yeah, this is my PhD work, focused on the ways in which soybeans, so legumes, are able to discriminate and actually punish. — Quanta Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026 The issue has historically been politically taboo to avoid pointing fingers at the powerful agricultural industry in Iowa, one of the country’s top producers of corn, soybeans and hogs. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 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

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Soybean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soybean. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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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

soybean

noun

Illustration of soybean

Examples of soybean in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

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soybean

noun

Illustration of soybean

Examples of soybean in a Sentence

Word History

Phrases Containing soybean

Rhymes for soybean

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on soybean

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

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