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

There’s a huge amount of work ahead, but this proof of concept in Parkinson’s should be motivation to keep pushing — both at the basic biology and at driving stem cell treatments forward. —Lisa Jarvis, Twin Cities, 9 May 2025

And to his way of thinking, the building itself stands for something: a proof of concept for a way of living. —Conor Dougherty, New York Times, 4 May 2025

Potentially Broader Applications The researchers stress that this treatment is still in proof of concept stage. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025

Key areas of focus include service and claims processing, where pilots and proofs of concept have already moved into production. —Peter High, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above