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
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 Coyotes’ California Community College Athletic Association title added to the long and still-growing legacy of soccer in San Diego — a legacy that San Diego FC leadership hopes the fledgling organization can lead as the area’s highest-level team.
—
Kyle Kensing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
Migratory ibises have a survival rate of between two and three fledglings per female, which is almost three times that of some nonmigratory populations.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
As of last year, the fledgling industry had grown to nearly $3 billion in annual sales, fueled by online and in-person purchases.
—John Diedrich, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2025
In the spring of 1933, Germany’s fledgling democracy fell.
—Katherine Tai, Foreign Affairs, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fledgling 
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.
Kyle Kensing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
Migratory ibises have a survival rate of between two and three fledglings per female, which is almost three times that of some nonmigratory populations.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
As of last year, the fledgling industry had grown to nearly $3 billion in annual sales, fueled by online and in-person purchases.
—John Diedrich, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2025
In the spring of 1933, Germany’s fledgling democracy fell.
—Katherine Tai, Foreign Affairs, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fledgling
Articles Related to fledgling
Dictionary Entries Near fledgling
Cite this Entry
“Fledgling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fledgling. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fledgling
noun
fledg·ling
ˈflej-liŋ 
1
: a young bird just fledged
2
: an immature or inexperienced person
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share