Practice Makes Perfect: What Is the Meaning of this Useful Phrase?

The phrase “practice makes perfect” is a common idiom that, despite its age, is still used frequently as a part of everyday conversation. Here you will find the meaning of this phrase and the story behind its origin. You will also find some examples of sentences and conversations using this phrase correctly to help you better understand and learn the meaning of this phrase. Finally, you will find some synonymous phrases that you can use in place of this phrase to convey the same meaning during a conversation.

Practice Makes Perfect

Practice Makes Perfect Meaning

This idiomatic phrase means that the more you do perform a skill or activity, the better and more efficient you will become at doing it.

Origin of this idiomatic phrase

This idiom can be traced back to a proverb that was written in the 1550s or 1560s. The original phrasing of this proverb was “use makes perfect.” This phrase was derived from the older Latin phrase “Uses promptos facit.” It appears that the first time it was recorded in English was in the diary of John Quincy Adams in 1761.

“Practice Makes Perfect” Examples

Sentence Examples

• They say practice makes perfect, but I studied art for many years and still am聽not聽good at it.
• If practice makes perfect, then you should consider me an expert in the art of procrastination.
• We learned by actual experience that聽practice makes perfect.
• We can never learn English well but聽practice makes perfect.
• Don’t worry about your oral English.聽Practice makes perfect.
• Practice makes perfect. It is true in anything.
• Practice speaking English whenever you have time.聽Practice makes perfect, you know.
• Whatever caulk you use, remember that聽practice makes perfect.

Conversation Examples

A conversation between mother and daughter.

• Mother: How are the violin lessons coming along?
• Daughter: Not very well. I am trying though.
• Mother: Well, just keep going and learning all you can. Don’t give up. Practice makes perfect and learning a new instrument takes time.

A conversation between two co-workers.

• Co-worker 1: I feel like I have performed this task thousands of times.
• Co-worker 2: Practice makes perfect so if you have done it that many times, then you should be an expert at it by now.
• Co-worker 1: I can get it done more quickly then I could before.

“Practice Makes Perfect” Synonyms

There are several synonymous phrases that you could use in place of this phrase to convey the same meaning. Some of the alternative phrases you could use include:

• Practice makes a man perfect
• Repeatedly doing something will make you an expert
• Repetition builds perfection

Practice Makes Perfect | Picture