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 Asano

… 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

Season 1 is a furious proof of concept. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026

Trump drew a direct line from the Easter weekend rescue operation to the January raid that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, framing both as proof of concept. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026

Their wins serve as proof of concept. —Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 2 Apr. 2026

The agreement gives Everbloom access to NWI’s pilot spinning and processing setup at NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles, where the company will work on translating its proof of concept into manufacturing-ready materials ahead of wider commercialization. —Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above