raison d'être: Meaning and Definition of

rai•son d'ê•tre

Pronunciation: (rā'zōn de'tru Fr. re&sylpzôn de'tr&supschwa), [key]
— pl. rai•sons d'ê•tre
  1. reason or justification for being or existence: Art is the artist's raison d'être.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.