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Showing results for raison d'etre. Search instead for saisonjagdorte.
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.

But, for smaller companies whose AI offerings are their raison d’être, there are pros and cons of the new era.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 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

Unrestrained power, of course, is the president’s raison d’être.

From Salon • Sep. 27, 2025

At this distance, we can see the raison d’être of what the satirist regarded as religious aberrations, the full treatment of which must be reserved for another chapter.

From Roman Society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius by Dill, Samuel

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.