fledgling

noun

fledg·​ling ˈflej-liŋ How to pronounce fledgling (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Illustration: Marcos Silva/Getty Images China, India, and Japan are not the only countries on the Asian continent looking to establish themselves in the fledgling space economy. Javier Carbajal, Wired News, 23 July 2025 Then a famous childhood friend wore it on his new TV series and orders poured in to Curran’s fledgling clothing brand. Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2025 But Vertical Aerospace is also facing the same financial headwinds that have sunk other companies in the fledgling eVTOL sector. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 18 July 2025 Its job was to find fledgling technology companies with interesting ideas and give them contracts. Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for fledgling

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fledgling was in 1830

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fledgling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fledgling. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

fledgling

noun
fledg·​ling ˈflej-liŋ How to pronounce fledgling (audio)
1
: a young bird just fledged
2
: an immature or inexperienced person

More from Merriam-Webster on fledgling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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