raison d'être; a reason for living.' name='description'> raison d'etre - definition and meaning

Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Anglicized spelling of raison d'être; a reason for living.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun reason for being
  • noun the purpose that justifies a thing's existence

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French raison d'être

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Examples

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  • (n): Reason or justification for existing. French: raison, reason + de, of, for + être, to be.

    March 7, 2009

  • See rum raisin d'être

    March 7, 2009