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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 Gilgeous-Alexander’s productive-but-not-dominant performances, the Thunder’s deep roster has stepped up to fill the void.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
Judge Lewis Liman threw out 10 of Lively’s 13 claims last month, and the two sides issued a joint statement on Monday in lieu of taking the remaining claims to a federal trial.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 7 May 2026
He was suspended numerous times and resigned in lieu of termination, according to public records obtained by the Arizona Republic and later posted to the county board’s website.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
In lieu of those types of potential deals, the league partnered with RedBird Capital to help with cash flow.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for lieu
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Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
Judge Lewis Liman threw out 10 of Lively’s 13 claims last month, and the two sides issued a joint statement on Monday in lieu of taking the remaining claims to a federal trial.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 7 May 2026
He was suspended numerous times and resigned in lieu of termination, according to public records obtained by the Arizona Republic and later posted to the county board’s website.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
In lieu of those types of potential deals, the league partnered with RedBird Capital to help with cash flow.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for lieu
Cite this Entry
“Lieu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lieu. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lieu
noun
archaic
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