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Showing results for raison d'etre. Search instead for saisongewerbe.
Definitions

raison d'etre

[rey-zohn de-truh, re-zawn de-truh] / ˈreɪ zoʊn ˈdɛ trə, rɛ zɔ̃ ˈdɛ trə /
NOUN
reason for being
Synonyms
WEAK
basis justification for existing rationale reason for existing reason why
raison d'être
NOUN
reason for being
Synonyms
WEAK
basis justification for existing rationale reason for existing reason why

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.

Couple the above with ExpressVPN’s pretty stringent privacy policy, you begin to understand that ExpressVPN is more of an “old school” VPN provider, for which security and privacy are a VPN’s raison d’être.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026

It is also working to build the type of cutting-edge AI agents that some investors think threaten its entire raison d’être.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 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

Fundamentally, the format's raison d'être is now under question.

From BBC • Jul. 18, 2025

A theory of value which cannot be applied in the money market, the stock exchange, and the great field of modern business generally, has small raison d'être.

From The Value of Money by Anderson, Benjamin M.