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

Explanation

A fledgling is a fuzzy baby bird just learning to fly, or someone (like a baby bird) who's brand new at doing something. Awww. If you're not talking about a baby bird, fledgling is often used as an adjective describing a new participant in something, like a fledgling senator still learning the ropes of how to legislate, or a fledgling drama program trying to build audiences for its plays. It can also mean inexperienced and young, like the fledgling photographer for the school paper who accidentally erases all the pictures. If you're British, spell it fledgeling if you like — both spellings are correct.

Example Sentences

"I love the idea that by the end of this three-year project, revellers and runners will have created a fledgling Welsh forest, which could flourish for hundreds of years," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

He reached the upper echelons of the military establishment in the late 1990s when he became commander of the Guards' fledgling aerospace forces.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

The smoldering ashes at the bottom of the building had broken out into a few fledgling fires, and he moved to put them out.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

Iran’s fledgling nuclear-weapons program, already bludgeoned by U.S. and Israeli strikes last year, is now even further from producing a viable bomb.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026

She was no longer a nestling but a fledgling, a flying member of bird royalty—the family Falconidae.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Related Words

• chick
• nestling