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

Generate Revenue Before Product-Market Fit In the current tough fundraising environment, an underrated strategy for early-stage tech startups is to start generating revenue from day one through consulting, paid proofs of concept or other means based on the skills that the founders possess. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025

The scientists, who must've only caught the first 20 minutes of Jurassic Park, are using this as proof of concept for bringing back more species from extinction, including the wooly mammoth and white rhino. —Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025

Eligible projects under the CÎROC Blue Dot Creative Residency include unscripted documentaries, features films, podcasts, visual arts, fashion collections, art installations, and any other creative proofs of concept. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 19 Mar. 2025

The pilot model in general is more often employed in comedy as a proof of concept for tone, chemistry among the ensemble cast, comedic timing and other key ingredients of a successful series. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above