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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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.
She was also “at least temporarily,” in her words, “a full-fledged movie star,” she wrote in her autobiography “Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Crocs is introducing its first full-fledged advertising mascot, a six-foot crocodile named Niles, the WSJ Leadership Institute’s Patrick Coffee reports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
But some analysts see signs that the data center boom is starting to broaden out into a full-fledged U.S. manufacturing renaissance.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
Cooking a full-fledged meal from scratch seems too laborious.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
When I caught myself staring too much, I turned back to see two full-fledged zombies waiting patiently and arguing about where to drive to next.
From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley
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.
