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

If Mamdani wins, the progressive Left, which has been reeling ever since last November's presidential election, will treat the victory as proof of concept. —MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025

Inventors Nicola Woollon and James West, who have protected the technology with a strict Non Disclosure Agreement, used Stella McCartney’s runway as a proof of concept. —Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025

Embedded in pilots, demos, and proofs of concept across nearly every major enterprise. —Kellie Romack, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2025

There’s proof of concept in the effectiveness of the approach. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above