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.
That argues for a modest correction rather than a full-fledged hiking campaign: The Fed would take back insurance that is no longer needed, then stop and reassess.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
As a single mother in Los Angeles, she had to take her young children around with her while her work evolved into a full-fledged nonprofit called Miry’s List.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Cooking a full-fledged meal from scratch seems too laborious.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
Rather, we would require further downside in order to produce a full-fledged MVB sell signal.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 23, 2026
It might seem intuitive for an embryologist to approach the problem of genesis forward—from the earliest events in the embryo to the development of a body plan of a full-fledged organism.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
