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.

My raison d’etre for living is him, to take care of him, to protect him.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2025

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

This ignorance is the very raison d’etre of the society.

From Buchanan's Journal of Man, March 1887 Volume 1, Number 2 by Buchanan, Joseph R. (Joseph Rodes)