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, the ideal method for minimizing lanternfly populations long-term would be biological control–the use of natural predators and enemies to kill off the planthoppers, Hoover says. —Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 4 July 2024

Jochen Meyer, cofounder of Berlin’s Meyer Riegger, has opened a new gallery in Seoul in lieu of participating in multiple Asian fairs each year, with the hope that a permanent space helps build long-term relationships in Korea and Asia more generally. —Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 4 July 2024

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Abe’s name to a charity of choice, the obituary says.. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 2 July 2024

Popular on Variety In lieu of a real hurricane, the production approximated the chaotic conditions on set, while Reid and Anderson delivered perhaps the most consequential heart to heart of the series so far, which is based on Anne Rice’s novels. —Hunter Ingram, Variety, 1 July 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

Phrases Containing lieu

• in lieu
• in lieu of

Kids Definition

lieu

noun

ˈlü 

archaic

: place entry 1 sense 7b, stead