proof of the pudding

American  

[proof uhv thuh pood-ing] / ˈpruf ʌv ðə ˈpʊd ɪŋ /

noun

1. the true value or quality of something, as seen when it is experienced, tried, or put to use.

   The proof of the pudding for a business is what customers say about it.

---

Etymology

Origin of proof of the pudding

First recorded in 1600–20; from the proverb “The proof (i.e., test) of the pudding is in the eating”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

proof of the pudding

In other words, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2025

“The proof of the pudding will be what happens when it goes into humans and how going into a preimmune population skews the response to it,” Dr. Webby said.

From New York Times ● Nov. 29, 2022

"The critical sign of seriousness is complete Zambia, complete Chad, complete Ethiopia - it is the very old saying: the proof of the pudding is in the eating."

From Reuters ● Jul. 7, 2022

But, she adds, “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

From Scientific American ● Mar. 11, 2022

There is a proverb, as excellent as it is ancient, which says that the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

From The Curse of Education by Harold Edward Gorst