Idioms

raison d'être

This page is about the idiom raison d'être

FORMAL

Meaning

Your raison d'être is your reason for living, or the most important thing in your life.

For example

  • When he was young, Carl's raison d'être was enjoying life and exploring its possibilities. But after he got married and had kids, it was all about his family.

  • Barbara says her company's raison d'être has always had as much to do with serving the community as with generating profits.

Origin: Borrowed from French, in which it means "reason for being".

Quick Quiz

My great aunt's raison d'être had been her work. For her,

a. work was a waste of time

b. work was everything

c. work was a just a way to make money
a) work was a waste of time b) work was everything c) work was a just a way to make money

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Common English Idioms

Contributor: Matt Errey