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

From defining its purpose to assembling a team, building infrastructure, and scaling operations, a family office in its infancy shares much in common with a fledgling tech company. —Francois Botha, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025

Some high-profile supporters have lined up behind the fledgling nonprofit. —Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2025

The fledgling fashion line has been steadily releasing pieces and capsules, but the first full collection will debut in two weeks, Sabbat said. —Rhonda Richford, WWD, 7 Mar. 2025

Along the nearby blocks are a few fledgling breweries, a wine bar and soon a new coffee shop. —Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Denver Post, 3 Mar. 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