fledgling

noun

fledg·​ling ˈflej-liŋ 

often attributive

1

: a young bird just fledged (see fledge sense 1)

a female bird feeding her fledglings

2

: an immature or inexperienced person

fledgling medical students

3

: one that is new

a fledgling company

Synonyms

• abecedarian
• apprentice
• babe
• beginner
• colt
• cub
• freshman
• greenhorn
• neophyte
• newbie
• newcomer
• novice
• novitiate
• punk
• recruit
• rook
• rookie
• tenderfoot
• tyro
• virgin

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

Several years back a fledgling online retailer struggled to find a foothold. —Albert Kim, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

By mid-summer, the oriole population will increase dramatically as fledglings leave the nest and swarm nectar feeders. —Ernie Cowan, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2025

But his words were lost on Barron Nguyen, there to help his mom sell artwork in the gift shop to fundraise for the fledgling museum. —Jonathan Horwitz, Oc Register, 26 Apr. 2025

But during the fledgling months of his second presidency, public confidence in Trump's economic performance has fluctuated. —Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

fledgling

noun

fledg·​ling ˈflej-liŋ 

1

: a young bird just fledged

2

: an immature or inexperienced person