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

The man is being held in lieu of $480,000 bail at Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of numerous charges, including assault with a firearm, shooting into an inhabited dwelling or vehicle, shooting into an uninhabited dwelling or vehicle, willful discharge of a firearm and other crimes. —Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024

Writer/director Isaiah Saxon, who makes his directorial debut with the film, took to X to explain how animatronics, puppetry, and more effects were utilized in lieu of AI. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2024

In Wyoming, our Nordic skier used the thumb loops in lieu of gloves on a warm spring day. —Frederick Reimers, Outside Online, 4 Nov. 2024

Fans and exhaust systems are used in lieu of A/C units. —Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 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