soybean

American  

[soi-been] / ˈsɔɪˌbin /

especially British, soya bean

noun

• soybeans
  plural

1. a bushy Old World plant, Glycine max, of the legume family, cultivated globally, with greatest productivity in the United States, where it is grown chiefly for forage and soil improvement.

2. the seed of this plant, used for food, as a livestock feed, and for a variety of other commercial uses.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• soybeans
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of soybean

First recorded in 1795–1805; soy + bean

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Explanation

Prized for its high protein content and adaptable for many cooking and industrial products, the soybean is the most valuable member of the pea family. A legume native to Asia, the soybean is incredibly important, providing essential vegetable protein for millions of people around the world. Soybeans are transformed into various foods like tofu, soy milk, and soy sauce, making them a staple in the diets of people who do not or cannot eat animal protein. Beyond food, soybeans are used in animal feed and as ingredients in hundreds of chemical products, including biodiesel and plastics.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

soybean soybeans

This community of roughly 2,000 is populated partly by blue-collar commuters living alongside soybean, corn and wheat farmers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

The corn and soybean farmer watched as prices fell from $7 a bushel for corn in early 2022 to just $4.29 three years later.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

"Most farmers have been living on a very thin edge of profitability," said Logan, 77, himself a soybean, corn and wheat farmer.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

It’s the difference between the prices of soybean oil and ultra-low sulfur diesel, also known as heating oil.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

A soybean field between my house and his has a path worn down through the middle of it we’re back and forth so much.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings

S&P notes recent declines in acreage planted in Europe for corn, Brazil for soybeans and Australia for wheat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

D-serine is closely related to L-serine, an amino acid commonly found in foods such as soybeans, eggs, fish, and nuts.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

In the fields, the cost of diesel needed to run combines as farmers start harvesting soybeans, corn and other crops this month has skyrocketed more than 67 percent since February.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

If he has to send 80 truckloads of soybeans 80 miles round trip, he estimates savings of $30 to $40 per truckload — or up to $3,200.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Little town houses, with handkerchief lawns, gave way to fields where corn and soybeans grew.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

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