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Lieu vs. Loo vs. Lue
Due to its unusual Francophonic spelling, many people misspell lieu (which appears most often in the phrase in lieu of) as loo or lue. We even have evidence for people assuming the phrase is inlu of. It is, in fact, in lieu of. Lieu as a standalone noun means “place” and it’s now archaic. You can remember the spelling of lieu by using the mnemonic “lieu in everyday use.”
Examples of lieu in a Sentence
I have decided that in lieu of a going-away shower, those who wish to go in on a nice gift for her can see me after church.
—
Garrison Keillor, Leaving Home, 1989
Many of those pigs live here. Do they ever wonder why their masters walk upright in lieu of going on all-fours?
—Charles Dickens, American Notes for General Circulation, 1842
But when she read, and re-read with the closest attention, the particulars immediately following of Wickham's resigning all pretensions to the living, of his receiving, in lieu, so considerable a sum as three thousand pounds, again was she forced to hesitate.
—Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813
Garrison Keillor, Leaving Home, 1989
Many of those pigs live here. Do they ever wonder why their masters walk upright in lieu of going on all-fours?
—Charles Dickens, American Notes for General Circulation, 1842
But when she read, and re-read with the closest attention, the particulars immediately following of Wickham's resigning all pretensions to the living, of his receiving, in lieu, so considerable a sum as three thousand pounds, again was she forced to hesitate.
—Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813
Recent Examples on the Web
In lieu of two events, he’s decided to combine the unveiling of his fall 2025 haute couture collection with a celebration event at his Paris headquarters, which is a stone’s throw from the Opéra Garnier.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 5 May 2025
In lieu of an executive order that instructs the Innovation Center to pursue international price referencing in Medicare, legislators could pass a separate law.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
For 20 years, YouTube has served as hip-hop’s default digital archive in lieu of physical spaces.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2025
Other forms of identification that will be accepted in lieu of a REAL ID include a valid U.S. passport or passport card; DHS trusted traveler cards such as Global Entry; Department of Defense IDs; permanent resident cards; and border crossing cards.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lieu
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Miles Socha, Footwear News, 5 May 2025
In lieu of an executive order that instructs the Innovation Center to pursue international price referencing in Medicare, legislators could pass a separate law.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
For 20 years, YouTube has served as hip-hop’s default digital archive in lieu of physical spaces.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2025
Other forms of identification that will be accepted in lieu of a REAL ID include a valid U.S. passport or passport card; DHS trusted traveler cards such as Global Entry; Department of Defense IDs; permanent resident cards; and border crossing cards.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lieu
Cite this Entry
“Lieu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lieu. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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lieu
noun
archaic
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