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
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
Henderson remains jailed in lieu of $125,000 bail, with his next court date set for April 30, court records show.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
He was being held in Vista jail in lieu of $105,000, according to the sheriff’s online booking site.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
The settlement, which was agreed upon in lieu of litigation, includes enhanced protections for minors who use the app, such as requiring age verification for all users and restricting nighttime notifications for minors.
—CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Other details include two weeks’ advance notice of layoff, or pay in lieu of notice; and no cap on severance in the event of layoff.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lieu
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
He was being held in Vista jail in lieu of $105,000, according to the sheriff’s online booking site.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
The settlement, which was agreed upon in lieu of litigation, includes enhanced protections for minors who use the app, such as requiring age verification for all users and restricting nighttime notifications for minors.
—CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Other details include two weeks’ advance notice of layoff, or pay in lieu of notice; and no cap on severance in the event of layoff.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 14 Apr. 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 22 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lieu
noun
archaic
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
