74% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up
Exact phrase first verifiably attested in John Adams's diary, January 1761: "Practice makes perfect." Earlier related forms: 'use maketh mastery' (c.1530), Thomas Wilson's rhetoric (1550s-60s). English-descended, anonymous.
Work
John Adams's diary
Occasion
1761
Sources checked
phrases.org.ukChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 21 August 2026John Adams diary 1761 citation; 1530s-1560s precursor forms
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