Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

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

raison d'être

 noun
     
rai‧son d'être [singular]
the reason why something exists, why someone does something etc:
Commerce was the town's raison d'être.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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