Fledgling
mediumNeutral toneFLEJ-ling
noun
Definition
A young bird just fledged; a person or organization that is new and inexperienced
Memory hook
FLEDGE-LING: a baby bird whose feathers are just fledging — new, inexperienced, just starting out.
Examples
“The fledgling company struggled to compete with industry giants.”
“As a fledgling writer, she sought guidance from mentors.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The ______ company struggled to compete with industry giants.”
Show answer
fledgling
Categories
GRE Tip
Fledgling is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "novice" or "neophyte" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "veteran".
Related GRE Words
greenhorn
An inexperienced or naive person
amateur
A person who engages in an activity for pleasure rather than professionally; lacking expertise
neophyte
A person who is new to a subject or activity; a beginner
tyro
A beginner or novice
novice
A person new to or inexperienced in a field or situation
embryonic
In an early stage of development; rudimentary
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