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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
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
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2024
Vincent has now disappeared, and Allen is petitioning a judge to allow the publication of a summons in lieu of hand delivery.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2024
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Maxie’s name to One Billion Rising.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 17 Aug. 2024
The Oakland resident was arrested Aug. 9 at his home, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held in lieu of $42,500 bail.
—Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lieu 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lieu.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lieu
Cite this Entry
“Lieu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lieu. Accessed 8 Sep. 2024.
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lieu
noun
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