proof of concept

American  

[proof uhv kon-sept] / ˈpruf əv ˈkɒn sɛpt /

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.

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proof of concept British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of proof of concept

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

We thought, perhaps naively, now that we’ve done it, now that there’s a proof of concept, it’s going to be much clearer.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

The researchers emphasized that the project is still at the proof of concept stage and has not yet been fully optimized for efficiency or maximum lithium recovery.

From Science Daily • May 23, 2026

Nvidia’s AI bet achieved proof of concept among the scientific community in 2012.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

Quarterly earnings last week offered the first real proof of concept for the newly public company.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

Ernest was willing to assume that he had achieved a proof of concept; verifiable results required only superior detection equipment.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik