proof of concept

[proof uhv kon-sept]

noun

1. a small-scale demonstration that a business plan, product in development, etc., is likely to be successful in later stages (often used attributively): The next step is a proof-of-concept clinical trial to evaluate the drug.

   A rough prototype of the device was constructed as proof of concept.

   The next step is a proof-of-concept clinical trial to evaluate the drug.

proof of concept

noun

1. commerce the stage during the development of a product when it is established that the product will function as intended

Word History and Origins

Origin of proof of concept¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Arbor had initially planned to build a proof of concept in Placer County.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The road to finally bring “Brownsville Bred” to the screen was in motion when Del Valle received funding from WarnerMedia OneFifty, an artist development initiative, to produce a pilot that could serve as proof of concept for an episodic series.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He described this meeting with Serbia as "proof of concept" - and it will certainly be a more accurate measure of the direction England are taking under Tuchel than knocking aside stubborn minnows such as Andorra, ranked 174th in the world.

Read more on BBC

Zohran Mamdani’s successful sidewalk-based cost-of-living campaign is a kind of proof of concept.

Read more on Slate

Succeeding in Singapore is "a proof of concept for later expansion, convincing potential investors that the chain is ready to go global," says Thomas DuBois, a historian of modern China.

Read more on BBC