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.

So they feel like it is their signature, their raison d’etre.

From Slate

Many skeptics say the Pakistani army and the feared Inter-Services Intelligence agency would never have agreed to the plan, since fighting India was their raison d’être.

From Seattle Times

Come on, that’s kind of hilarious: Their raison d'être is finding Problematic Kang or Kang With a Debilitating Bunion or just the Kang Who Got Worked by Thor and wiping them from their timelines?

From Los Angeles Times

A university’s raison d’être, unlike a family’s, is civil but robust and unsettling questionings and disagreements.

From Washington Post

Or consider TurboTax, Intuit’s tax filing software whose entire raison d’être lies in the needless complexity of IRS forms.

From Slate