lieu
Americannoun
idioms
noun
Etymology
Origin of lieu
First recorded in 1250–1300; from Middle French, from Latin locus “place”; replacing Middle English liue, from Old French liu, from Latin; see locus
Explanation
To be in lieu of something is to replace it or substitute for it. A restaurant that's run out of clams might serve French onion soup in lieu of chowder. The word lieu originally comes from the Latin locus, meaning "place," and its meaning has stayed true to its origins ever since. Though it does have a standalone definition, "the position or function formerly held by another," this noun is most commonly encountered in the phrase "in lieu of," which means, basically, "instead of."
Vocabulary lists containing lieu
The Tempest
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Scrabble: Four-Letter Words with 3 Vowels
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Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
California Rep. Ted Lieu was recently pilloried on social media for suggesting that our current approach to A.I. will not reach consciousness.
From Slate • May 25, 2026
Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Ted Lieu announced Thursday that officials in Rancho Palos Verdes are set to receive almost $2.3 million for two landslide mitigation projects.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
The cloud company agrees to pay upward of $650 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes over 20 years as well as a community benefits plan for Independence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
"I agree with you," said Lieu, adding Garland "dropped the ball".
From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026
The Normans when they came had called it Mal Lieu and afterwards Mallintown and so it changed to Mallington.
From Tales of Wonder by Dunsany, Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, Baron
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
