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

See Examples For:

lieu

Blair wrote about the incident in an July 31 Instagram post, saying that the animals were “good in lieu of our surprise visit in 105° heat.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

In lieu of suspensions, administrators invite offenders to reflect in a soothing place on the feelings and trauma that led them, say, to hit another student or disobey a teacher.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

If you are withholding too much money, it makes sense to reduce that amount so you put that money in your back pocket in lieu of having it languish in IRS coffers.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

But in lieu of an album drop, the mystery surrounding the Grammy-winning artist's upcoming nuptials is doing just as much to mobilise her fandom.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

In lieu of cake and gifts, we would pool our food and present an extra slice of bread or cup of coffee to the birthday honoree.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela