The doc: http://steven_watanabe.users.sourceforge.net/type_erasure/libs/type_erasure/... states: When a concept is instantiated with a specific set of type bindings, each placeholder is bound to a cv-unqualified non-reference type. After replacing each placeholder in the template argument list with the type that it binds to, the following must hold. * The number of arguments of apply in the bound concept must be the same as the number of arguments in the unbound concept. * The arguments and return type of apply in the bound concept can be derived from the corresponding arguments and the return type in the unbound concept as follows: If the argument in the unbound concept is a placeholder with optional cv and reference qualifiers, then the argument in the bound concept can be found by replacing the placeholder. Otherwise, the argument in the unbound concept must be the same as the argument in the bound concept. However, there is no apply in the builtin concept's: same_type (in same_type.hpp) null_construct (in constructible.hpp) destructible (in builtin.hpp) so, shouldn't the paragraph qualify the word concept with the word primitive, to make clear it's talking about item 3 in the list: There are three kinds of concepts. 1. The library defines a number of predefined concepts. 2. Any MPL Forward Sequence whose elements are concepts is also a concept. 3. Users can define their own primitive concepts. from the 2nd paragraph of conceptdef.html? IOW, rephrase the 1st sentence to: When a *primitive* concept is instantiated with a specific set of type bindings, I guess one could infer from the sentence 2 paragraphs up: Each primitive concept defines a single operation. that the word concept in subsequent paragraphs means primitive concept, but not every reader (in particular, this reader) would make that inference unless he'd actually looked at the definition of some of the predefined concepts. BTW, the same_type doc uses the term 'built in concept'; however, the conceptdef.html doc uses the term 'predefined concept'. It would be helpful if the same term were used everywhere. HTH. -regards, Larry