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

The proof of concept has been demonstrated with funding from a UWM internal Discovery and Innovation Grant and research partner, the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, according to a press release. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2025

For Bernet, this launch will provide proof of concept for the brand to expand its fragrance offering. —Emily Burns, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025

OpenAI’s proposition with Sora 2 feels slightly different—more like a flashy proof of concept to showcase the power of its models. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025

Victor Wembanyama and the young core have a high ceiling, but there still is no dominant stretch to point to as proof of concept. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 20 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above