proof of concept

noun

plural proofs of concept
: something that demonstrates the feasibility of a concept (such as a product idea or a business plan)
Even if it succeeds, the $5.9 billion reactor will be just a proof of concept, with commercial fusion power still decades away.Corey S. Powell
Malware and virus-writing used to be something hobbyist hackers did for fun, as proofs of concept. Not anymore.Mat Honan
often hyphenated when used before another noun
No invention is worth anything without the proof-of-concept prototype.Shintaro Osano
proof-of-concept experiments funded with public money and years away from any commercial application, were sponsored by university biology departments.Andrew Curry

Examples of proof of concept in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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For now, the study provides proof of concept. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025 Some work continued on the environment after his death—this final release came out in December 2005, nearly 10 months later—but the project was ultimately abandoned, and many planned innovations, such as a ZUI of its own, were never fully developed beyond a separate proof of concept. Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025 Use it to create proofs of concept and demonstrate the art of the possible. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 The prototypes are being used as final proof of concept and safety and will inform tooling and production requirements at Steyr ahead of series production. New Atlas, 6 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for proof of concept

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of proof of concept was in 1967

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Cite this Entry

“Proof of concept.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proof%20of%20concept. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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