lieu

noun

ˈlü 

archaic

: place, stead

Phrases

in lieu

: instead

in lieu of

: in the place of : instead of

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web

In lieu of similarly robust policies, Harris’ 2024 agenda instead lists some of her past actions to affirm LGBTQ+ equality. —Nico Lang, Them, 18 Oct. 2024

Use Hemp Plastic and Recycled Materials In lieu of glass, my preferred weed-storing medium, there are clever hemp bioplastic companies on the market today offering a solution to weed’s single-use plastic problem. —Lindsey Bartlett, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2024

In lieu of an allowance, his father paid him to help on roofing jobs and fixing buildings. —Siddhartha Mitter, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2024

She was arrested Tuesday and is being held in lieu of $2.08-million bail. —Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English liue, from Anglo-French liu, lieu, from Latin locus — more at stall

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lieu

noun

ˈlü 

archaic

: place entry 1 sense 7b, stead