out of the mouths of babes

proverb

From the comments of children, who are honest and innocent, . . . (comes truth or wisdom).

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Meanings

proverb

alternative out of the mouths of babes and sucklings

  1. From the comments of children, who are honest and innocent, . . . (comes truth or wisdom).

    Not only out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, but out of the mouths of fools and cheats, we may often get our truest lessons.

    1859, Oliver Wendell Holmes, chapter 1, in The Professor at the Breakfast Table
    3 more examples

    Again Puck translated to Kadmiel in the strange, solemn-sounding language, and at last Kadmiel laughed. "Out of the mouths of babes do we learn," said he.

    1906, Rudyard Kipling, chapter 10, in Puck of Pook's Hill

    Goldie Hawn […] insists, at times a bit too gushingly, that out of the mouths of babes will inevitably come everything spontaneous and pure in this world.

    1982 May 7, John J. O'Connor, “Art: TV Weekend”, in New York Times, retrieved 08 Sep 2013

    (CAPTION) Out of the mouths of babes, love is explained. Brooklyn first graders write and read their valentines and describe the meaning of Valentines Day.

    2010 Feb. 12, "First Graders' Valentines" (news video), Time (retrieved 8 Sept 2013)

Origin

From King James Bible, Psalms 8:2, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength". (Note that mouth is singular in the Biblical verse, and that the usage of this expression differs from the modern proverbial usage.)

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish fra børn og fulde folk skal man høre sandheden
  • fra børn og fulde folk skal man høre sandhedenfrom the comments of children comes truth
Finnish lasten suusta
  • lasten suustafrom the comments of children comes truth
French la vérité sort de la bouche des enfants
  • la vérité sort de la bouche des enfantsfrom the comments of children comes truth
German Kindermund tut Wahrheit kund
  • Kindermund tut Wahrheit kundfrom the comments of children comes truth
Polish dzieci są szczere
  • dzieci są szczerefrom the comments of children comes truth
Russian уста́ми младе́нца глаго́лет и́стина
  • уста́ми младе́нца глаго́лет и́стина (ustámi mladénca glagólet ístina)from the comments of children comes truth
Scottish Gaelic cha dèan am bodach breug 's a mhac a-staigh
  • cha dèan am bodach breug 's a mhac a-staighfrom the comments of children comes truth
Cite this entry
APA

out of the mouths of babes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/out%20of%20the%20mouths%20of%20babes

MLA

“out of the mouths of babes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/out%20of%20the%20mouths%20of%20babes. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “out of the mouths of babes,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/out%20of%20the%20mouths%20of%20babes.

Source: out of the mouths of babes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.