English Reference

Word

fledged

US/ˈfɫɛdʒd/

UK/flˈɛdʒd/

Definition

adj. having all the skills or qualities needed to do a job or be a certain type of person. It describes someone who has finished their training and is now ready to work on their own.

adj. having reached a state of full development or maturity. Often used in a figurative sense to describe individuals who have completed their professional training or apprenticeship.

Examples

“She is now a fully fledged doctor.”

“After years of working as an assistant, he finally became a fully fledged member of the design team.”

“The small startup has grown into a fully fledged corporation with offices in three different countries and hundreds of employees.”

Examples

simple

“She is now a fully fledged doctor.”

contextual

“After years of working as an assistant, he finally became a fully fledged member of the design team.”

complex

“The small startup has grown into a fully fledged corporation with offices in three different countries and hundreds of employees.”

Usage

Commonly preceded by the adverb 'fully' to form the compound adjective 'fully fledged'. Often used attributively before the noun it modifies.

Real-World Examples

“At 150 days of age, the chicks are fledged and considered independent enough to be added to the total population.”
The Guardian · 1 Sept 2026
“The footage talks repeatedly about “Victor”, hints at the supervillain’s tragic history and seems determined to establish him as a fully fledged character in his own right.”
The Guardian · 21 Aug 2026

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference