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

Use these successes as a proof of concept to gradually gain broader executive buy-in. 5. —Liz Corey, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024

Successful flight demonstration of the ARES proof of concept demonstrator significantly reduces risk and accelerates the development timeline for a family of operational tilt-duct configurations for multi-mission VTOL UAS and high-speed VTOL applications. —David Szondy, New Atlas, 11 Sep. 2024

Backed by a $1.5 million grant, RTM labels itself a proof of concept: its model can be implemented at larger institutions, the group says. —Angelica Villa, ARTnews.com, 9 Sep. 2024

In time, Sonny started a private training business with Aaliyah front and center as the proof of concept. —Michael Errigo, Washington Post, 10 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above