fledgling

noun

fledg·​ling ˈflej-liŋ 

often attributive

1

: a young bird just fledged (see fledge sense 1)

a female bird feeding her fledglings

2

: an immature or inexperienced person

fledgling medical students

3

: one that is new

a fledgling company

Synonyms

• abecedarian
• apprentice
• babe
• beginner
• colt
• cub
• freshman
• greenhorn
• neophyte
• newbie
• newcomer
• novice
• novitiate
• punk
• recruit
• rook
• rookie
• tenderfoot
• tyro
• virgin

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

There isn't much that grows in the barren ground here, but Taleb points out fledgling mint, garlic and potato plants. —Jane Arraf, NPR, 24 Dec. 2024

While the first season of this raunchy, surreal comedy focused on her struggle to come to terms with her de facto disability, the second homes in on her fledgling relationship with a guy who can shapeshift into a cat. —Judy Berman, TIME, 23 Dec. 2024

Moving to a new location could help fledgling families stretch their dollar further. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024

Players in the space vary from fledgling startups to tech behemoths, all with their own claims about superiority and future capabilities. —Erin Brodwin, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

fledgling

noun

fledg·​ling ˈflej-liŋ 

1

: a young bird just fledged

2

: an immature or inexperienced person