fledgling

American  

[flej-ling] / ˈflɛdʒ lɪŋ /

especially British, fledgeling

noun

1. a young bird just fledged.

2. an inexperienced person.

   Synonyms:

   greenhorn, freshman, beginner, tyro, novice

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adjective

1. young, new, or inexperienced.

   a fledgling diver.

fledgling British  

/ ˈflɛdʒlɪŋ /

noun

1. a young bird that has just fledged

2. 1. a young and inexperienced or untried person, organization or system

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fledgling Scientific  

/ flĕj′lĭng /

1. A young bird that has just grown the feathers needed to fly and is capable of surviving outside the nest.

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Etymology

Origin of fledgling

First recorded in 1820–30; fledge + -ling ¹

Example Sentences

According to Walter Isaacson's biography of Jobs, Wayne, an engineer at the Atari video game company, was in charge of hardware engineering and documentation in the fledgling business.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Driven by Watt's marketing genius, the fledgling company pulled stunt after attention-seeking stunt, each crazier than the last, and they were rarely out of the news.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

Kevin Mathew of Houston was in the market last February for a Hyundai Elantra N, a sporty version of the four-door sedan, when he decided to give Amazon’s fledgling auto-sales program a try.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

Her unorthodox plan had one fledgling publisher’s name all over it — Bindery Books.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

The two warriors and a nearby fledgling who was half awake laughed obediently with their King.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Related Words

• chick
• nestling