Jump to:

• Practice makes perfect
  Practice makes perfect

  Doing something over and over makes one better at it.
• practice makes perfect
  practice makes perfect

  Frequently doing something makes one better at doing it, as in I've knit at least a hundred sweaters, but in my case practice hasn't made perfect. This proverbial expression was once put as Use makes mastery, but by 1560 the present form had become established.

Practice makes perfect

Cultural  

1. Doing something over and over makes one better at it.

---

practice makes perfect Idioms  

1. Frequently doing something makes one better at doing it, as in I've knit at least a hundred sweaters, but in my case practice hasn't made perfect. This proverbial expression was once put as Use makes mastery, but by 1560 the present form had become established.

---

Example Sentences

Vince Lombardi established the importance of this when he observed practice doesn’t make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

With it comes a perception that an athlete cannot be too dedicated in their pursuit of glory, that practice makes perfect.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2021

And as practice makes perfect, they’re really honing their craft!

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2020

Eventually, you may be ready for Julia’s five pages of omelet directions, including helpful line drawings … practice makes perfect.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2017

If practice makes perfect, Elizebeth was approaching perfection.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield