Definition

Adjective: 1. Having gained full status or qualifications; complete and fully developed. This describes a person, organization, or thing that has met all requirements and is now considered complete, official, or mature in its category. 2. (Of a bird) Having reached full physical development with adult plumage and ready to fly. This is the literal, biological meaning from which the common figurative sense is derived.

Examples

• After passing the bar exam and completing her apprenticeship, she became a full-fledged attorney.
• The local club grew into a full-fledged political movement with a national platform.
• The startup is no longer just an idea; it's a full-fledged company with offices and employees.
• (Literal) The full-fledged eagle left the nest for the first time.

Advanced Usage

• The term often implies a process of development or training has been successfully completed. It emphasizes the transition from a trainee, novice, or partial state to a complete and recognized one.
• It can be used in both formal contexts (professional, academic) and informal contexts to add emphasis.
  • "What started as a small kitchen experiment is now a full-fledged baking business."

Variants and Related Words

• Fully-fledged: This is a common variant, identical in meaning and usage to "full-fledged." The choice between them is often a matter of regional or stylistic preference.
  • He is now a fully-fledged member of the research team.

Synonyms

• Qualified: Officially recognized as being trained to perform a specific job or task.
• Certified: Having an official document attesting to a status or level of achievement.
• Established: Recognized and accepted over a period of time.
• Mature: Fully developed physically or mentally.

Related Phrases

• The real deal: (Informal idiom) An authentic, fully qualified, or excellent example of something.
  • After that performance, everyone knew she was the real deal.
• To come of age: To reach maturity or a stage of full development.
  • The technology finally came of age and became widely adopted.

Adjective

1. (of persons, e.g.) having gained full status
   • a full-fledged lawyer
   • by the age of seventeen I was a full-fledged atheist
   • sees itself as a fully fledged rival party
2. (of a bird) having reached full development with fully grown adult plumage; ready to fly