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
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The most striking proof of concept is Iron Lung, the sci-fi horror film written, directed and self-distributed by YouTuber and gaming personality Markiplier, which has now grossed more than $50 million worldwide. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026 Weinzierl hopes that Varda’s partnership with United Therapeutics turns into a successful proof of concept that could then be replicated. Ramin Skibba, Scientific American, 15 May 2026 Demand Proof Of Utility Similar to the Jobs to Be Done concept, once a product is built, proof of concepts are key to evaluating its utility in practice. Eilon Reshef, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026 As part of the award, Baby Atómica will give its director Felipe Zúñiga and Wong the opportunity to shoot their proof of concept together with its team in Costa Rica. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for proof of concept

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of proof of concept was in 1967

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Cite this Entry

“Proof of concept.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proof%20of%20concept. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

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