lieu
noun
ˈlü 
archaic
: place, stead
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.”
Example Sentences
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 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
phrase
as in instead
as a substitute In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice. Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- instead
- rather
- first
- alternately
- alternatively
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