often attributive
1
: a young bird just fledged (see fledge sense 1)
a bird feeding her fledglings
2
: an immature or inexperienced person
fledgling medical students
3
: one that is new
a fledgling company
Examples of fledgling in a Sentence
a female bird feeding her fledglings
at hockey he's still a fledgling and needs to work on his basic skating skills
Recent Examples on the Web
SpaceX, the once fledgling aerospace company that Elon Musk predicted had a slim chance of survival, reached new heights on Friday with a historic initial public offering.
—
Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
An offshoot of Eagle staple Schnitzel Garten, the fledgling lunch destination already has dropped some of its schnitzel sandwich prices a smidge, making all five options $16.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 11 June 2026
Cooking and preparing food, spinning and weaving cloth, washing and mending clothes, and caring for the sick were just some of the kinds of labor that supported the fledgling nation.
—Carolyn Zola, The Conversation, 11 June 2026
All of this supports my fledgling theory that the 2026 Giants are the weirdest team in franchise history.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fledgling
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Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
An offshoot of Eagle staple Schnitzel Garten, the fledgling lunch destination already has dropped some of its schnitzel sandwich prices a smidge, making all five options $16.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 11 June 2026
Cooking and preparing food, spinning and weaving cloth, washing and mending clothes, and caring for the sick were just some of the kinds of labor that supported the fledgling nation.
—Carolyn Zola, The Conversation, 11 June 2026
All of this supports my fledgling theory that the 2026 Giants are the weirdest team in franchise history.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fledgling
Cite this Entry
“Fledgling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fledgling. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fledgling
noun
fledg·ling
ˈflej-liŋ 
1
: a young bird just fledged
2
: an immature or inexperienced person
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