full-fledged
Americanadjective
-
of full rank or standing.
a full-fledged professor.
-
fully developed.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of full-fledged
First recorded in 1880–85
Explanation
Something that's full-fledged is completely developed, or fully qualified. A full-fledged meal, as far as your mom's concerned, might include meat, potatoes, and a vegetable. Things that are whole or complete are full-fledged — a full-fledged case of the flu isn't just a few sniffles and coughs, but requires you to lie in bed with a fever for several days. A full-fledged war involves two countries with a conflict deep enough to inspire violent clashes on both sides. The fledge part of full-fledged comes from the Old English -flycge, "having the feathers" or "fit to fly."
Vocabulary lists containing full-fledged
Where the Red Fern Grows
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Idioms and Expressions, List 4
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Speak
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"He is getting exactly the opposite... Finland today, and soon also Sweden will become a full fledged member of the alliance," Stoltenberg said.
From Reuters • Apr. 4, 2023
But it turns out that Clarence Thomas is not a full fledged libertarian when it comes to free speech.
From Slate • Mar. 8, 2022
“That could lead to a full fledged war in Europe,” Blinken said.
From Washington Post • Mar. 4, 2022
Several months later, she expanded the concept to a full fledged Netflix series of the same name that leans both into camp and into Hilton's overwhelming inability to complete a meal with snags.
From Salon • Oct. 29, 2021
From this it would be an easy step to the development, in the neurotic child, of a full fledged secondary personality, akin to that found in the spiritistic mediums of later times.
From Historic Ghosts and Ghost Hunters by Bruce, H. Addington (Henry Addington)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
