raison d'être

[ rey-zohn de-truh; French re-zawn de-truh ]

noun

, plural rai·sons d'ê·tre [rey, -zohnz , de, -tr, uh, r, e-zaw, n, , de, -t, r, uh].

1. reason or justification for being or existence:

   Art is the artist's raison d'être.

raison d'être

/ rɛzɔ̃ dɛtrə /

noun

1. reason or justification for existence

raison d'être

1. A basic, essential purpose; a reason to exist: “Professor Naylor argues that in the nuclear age, infantry forces have lost their raison d'être.” From French, meaning “reason for being.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of raison d'être¹

Borrowed into English from French around 1865–70