raison d'etre
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"But you also knew that his raison d'etre was to sort of catch you in the off moment."
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
A concert might sound like an odd raison d’etre for visiting a foreign country, especially when fans can watch the Eras Tour from home via the documentary now streaming on Disney+.
From Seattle Times ● May 7, 2024
His theoretical death has therefore long been the HBO show’s raison d’etre, even if it became increasingly unthinkable over the course of its crisp but repetitive seasons.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 10, 2023
So they feel like it is their signature, their raison d’etre.
From Slate ● Mar. 28, 2023
If they fail to reproduce their kind, they have failed in their purpose; they are unconsciously ruled by the philoprogenitive passion; it is their raison d'etre, for it they are fed, clothed, trained, bred.
From Captivity by M. Leonora Eyles
But it’s the photos, of course, that are the raison d’être of this lavish book.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Privacy A VPN’s raison d’être: encrypting your traffic to mask your internet browsing from your ISP and prevent it from throttling your connection.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
BeReal’s appeal ended the second the app started pushing users to friend randos and post more than once a day, defeating its entire raison d’être.
From Slate ● Dec. 14, 2025
The problem isn’t the production but the musical’s shifting raison d’être.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2025
I have endeavored to show, in the first place, that the doctrine of focus and margin involves the raison d'être of psychology.
From Creative Intelligence Essays in the Pragmatic Attitude by Boyd H. Bode
