1 in lieu | Definition of in lieu
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

lieu

noun
\ ˈlü How to pronounce lieu (audio) \

Definition of lieu

archaic
: place, stead
in lieu
: instead
in lieu of
: in the place of : instead of
Lieu vs. Loo vs. Lue Example Sentences Learn More about lieu

Keep scrolling for more

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
See More

First Known Use of lieu

13th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for lieu

Middle English liue, from Anglo-French liu, lieu, from Latin locus — more at stall

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on lieu

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with lieu

Spanish Central: Translation of lieu

Nglish: Translation of lieu for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of lieu for Arabic Speakers

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!