Phrases
in lieu
: instead
… some of the units are made available at affordable prices, or the developers pay a fee in lieu that supports a … housing fund.—
Chloe Hilles
Chloe Hilles
: in the place of : instead of
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society.
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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 flowers, the family requests donations to Regis High School.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 15 Nov. 2025
Burgundy Everything In lieu of decorating solely with red this holiday season, why not make some room for burgundy?
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 14 Nov. 2025
While the ballpark and its lots are exempt from property taxes, a payment in lieu of those taxes could potentially total $19 million annually.
—Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 12 Nov. 2025
In lieu of Young blame, several players admitted that something else could have been afoot.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lieu
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Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 15 Nov. 2025
Burgundy Everything In lieu of decorating solely with red this holiday season, why not make some room for burgundy?
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 14 Nov. 2025
While the ballpark and its lots are exempt from property taxes, a payment in lieu of those taxes could potentially total $19 million annually.
—Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 12 Nov. 2025
In lieu of Young blame, several players admitted that something else could have been afoot.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 10 Nov. 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 19 Nov. 2025.
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lieu
noun
archaic
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