lieu

American  

[loo] / lu /

noun

1. place; stead.

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idioms

1. in lieu of, in place of; instead of.

   He gave us an IOU in lieu of cash.

lieu British  

/ ljuː, luː /

noun

1. stead; place (esp in the phrases in lieu, in lieu of )

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lieu More Idioms  

1. see under instead of.

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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."

Example Sentences

And pretrial and posttrial diversion programs — where someone undergoes treatment in lieu of incarceration — would also need the cooperation of the court system, which the mayor does not control.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

Massie is a throwback libertarian who, in lieu of the standard lawmaker flag pin, wears on his lapel a national debt clock that he programmed himself.

From Slate • May 19, 2026

Under the SEC’s proposed amendments, public companies could choose to file one semiannual report and one annual report for each fiscal year in lieu of three quarterly reports and one annual report.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

The good news for crypto investors is that, in lieu of a bill, the Trump administration is trying to make it easier in other ways for the industry to flourish.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

I was proud of Sasha, who turned fifteen that same day and was counting down the hours to the Beyoncé concert she was going to in lieu of a birthday party.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama