raison d'etre

For many aspiring comedians, earning a place on SNL is their entire raison d'être.

The strength, the originality, the true raison d'être of the Provençal speech resides in its rich vocabulary.

Incapable of foresight, the nobles were the first to break with the traditions that were their only raison d'être.

Not until one leg dangles in the grave is their raison d'être disclosed.

Part, then, of the raison d'être of the repeat ceased to exist.

Before we Americans adopt fashions because they are English, we had better find out the raison d'être for their existence.