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

The fledgling nation was riddled with debt, the Constitution was weak and the judicial system was in its infancy. —Major Garrett, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2024

November 1, 2024 All over the world there are schemes that help support and nurture the fledgling talents of fashion. —Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024

And a fledgling media division that seeks to catapult those books into various mediums. —Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024

The percentage stake in the fledgling outfit and deal terms are undisclosed. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 29 Oct. 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