RAISON D'ÊTRE


Meaning of RAISON D'ÊTRE in English

rai ‧ son d'être /ˌreɪzɒn ˈdetrə $ -zoʊn-/ BrE AmE noun [singular]

[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Language: French ; Origin: 'reason of being' ]

the reason why something exists, why someone does something etc:

Commerce was the town’s raison d'être.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.