Noun: raison d'être (raisons d'être)
- The purpose that justifies a thing's existence
"The raison d'être for the committee was to improve communication between departments"
- Reason for being
"The charity's raison d'être was to provide education to underprivileged children"
Derived forms: raisons d'être
Type of: function, purpose, rationalisation [Brit], rationalization, role, use
Encyclopedia: Raison d'être