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

What better proof of concept is there that the right way to go about things is to go about things the right way? — Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026

The proof of concept focuses on picking components from containers and arranging them in the correct order for subsequent assembly operations. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026

Wildflower’s first feature, Universal’s Focker-in-Law, the latest in the Meet The Fockers franchise (starring Robert De Niro), is set for release November 25 and was a proof of concept for the unusual seven-story vertical facility. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2026

In 50 years of operation, the studio can point to its four Oscars, 18 BAFTAs and string of commercial hits as proof of concept. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above