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.

Joseph’s father’s parting words as he leaves his young son at an elite school will become Joseph’s raison d’être as he excels in music, fencing and pretty much anything else he takes on: “Joseph you must be excellent, always excellent. No one can tear down an excellent Frenchman.”

From New York Times

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

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

From Slate

It demonstrates how conservatives are relying on fantastical ideas about wokeness to tie together a movement that has otherwise lost much of its raison d’être.

From Seattle Times

The height of a cowboy boot heel can vary from shoe to shoe, but the existence of a heel is non-negotiable: It’s the thing that would hold one’s foot in the stirrup of the saddle, the raison d’être of the boot.

From Slate