fledgling

noun

fledg·​ling ˈflej-liŋ How to pronounce fledgling (audio)
Synonyms of fledgling
often attributive
1
: a young bird just fledged (see fledge sense 1)
a bird feeding her fledglings
2
: an immature or inexperienced person
fledgling medical students
3
: one that is new
a fledgling company

Synonyms of fledgling

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Examples of fledgling in a Sentence

a female bird feeding her fledglings at hockey he's still a fledgling and needs to work on his basic skating skills
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.
Scotland really needs an Iraq win or a tie here to help its fledgling chances. — ABC News, 26 June 2026 There’s a lot of bad crowd work out there, just like there is bad anything else — fledgling or whatever rookie stuff. — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 With his fledgling career in limbo, van Dongen simply wanted answers. — Kansas City Star, 24 June 2026 Over the next six decades, Dan Tana’s transformed from a fledgling eatery to a buzzing restaurant to, eventually, an institution. — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fledgling

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fledgling was in 1830

Browse Nearby Words

fledgeless
fledgling
fledgy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fledgling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fledgling. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

fledgling

noun
fledg·​ling ˈflej-liŋ How to pronounce fledgling (audio)
1
: a young bird just fledged
2
: an immature or inexperienced person

More from Merriam-Webster on fledgling

Nglish: Translation of fledgling for Spanish Speakers

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