The in lieu of meaning is simple: it means instead of or in place of. If a café gives you a voucher in lieu of a refund, you get the voucher and not the money.
The phrase sounds formal because it is borrowed from French, and you mostly see it in contracts, HR letters, school notices and funeral announcements. So what does in lieu mean exactly, how do you pronounce lieu, and why do so many people use it wrongly? The sections below answer each point.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
Instead of; as a replacement forPart of speech
Phrase working as a preposition (in lieu of); adverb phrase (in lieu)Pronunciation
in LOO (US); in LYOO or in LOO (UK)Origin
French lieu, place, from Latin locus; lieu recorded in English from about 1250 to 1300Plain swap
instead of, in place ofRegister
Formal; common in legal, business and official writing
In lieu of meaning in one line
The in lieu definition fits on a sticky note: X in lieu of Y means you get X and Y is replaced. The thing after of is the one that does not happen.
- She took a day off in lieu of overtime pay. (She got leave, not extra money.)
- In lieu of a printed ticket, show the QR code on your phone.
- The team gave the coach a signed shirt in lieu of a farewell party.
You can also use in lieu on its own at the end of a clause, when the replaced thing is already clear: "We could not refund the class, so we offered a free session in lieu."
Where people meet the phrase
Work and HR. In offices in India and the UK you will hear time off in lieu (often shortened to TOIL) or comp off in lieu of working a holiday. Employment contracts may mention payment in lieu of notice, where an employer pays salary for the notice period instead of asking the person to keep working.
Funeral notices. "In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a local hospice." American newspapers print this line almost daily.
Law and tax. A payment in lieu of taxes is money some exempt bodies pay a city instead of normal property tax.
How to say lieu without stumbling
Most Americans say LOO, like the British word for toilet, so the phrase sounds like "in loo of". Many British speakers say LYOO, with a light y sound. Both are accepted. The French pronunciation, close to "lyuh", is not used in English.
Spelling trips people up more than sound. It is l-i-e-u: the same four letters that appear in lieutenant, a word that once meant someone holding the place of a higher officer.
Common mistakes with in lieu
| Wrong | Why | Better |
|---|---|---|
| In lieu of the rain, the match was delayed. | Here the speaker means because of, not instead of | Because of the rain, the match was delayed. |
| In lieu of the new rules, please update your forms. | Confused with in light of or in view of | In light of the new rules... |
| in leu of / in loo of | Spelling | in lieu of |
A handy test: replace the phrase with instead of. If the sentence still makes sense, in lieu of is right. If it sounds odd, you probably wanted because of or in light of.
A French place word in English
Lieu is the French word for place, and it comes from Latin locus, which also gave English local and location. English borrowed lieu in the Middle Ages, and today it survives almost only in this phrase. So in lieu of literally means in the place of. Other borrowed phrases that keep their old form are collected in our phrases and greetings section, including vice versa and per diem.
When to pick a plainer word
In a chat message, instead of is friendlier: "Let's get pizza instead of cooking." Save in lieu of for writing where a formal tone fits, such as a notice, a policy or a letter to a client. Writing it in casual speech can sound stiff or a little showy.
For more on how such choices affect pay and benefits, see our page on compensation.
Frequently asked questions
What does in lieu mean, put plainly?
Instead of. When you receive one thing in lieu of another, you get the first thing as a replacement, and the second does not happen.
What does in lieu of flowers mean?
It appears in funeral and memorial notices. The family is asking people not to send flowers and to do something else, usually give money to a named charity or cause.
Can I say in lieu without of?
Yes, at the end of a clause when the replaced thing is already clear: "He missed the trip, so he was given a refund in lieu." It is less common than the full phrase.
Does in lieu of mean because of?
No. This is the most frequent misuse. In lieu of always means instead of. For a cause or reason, use because of, due to or in light of.
What is time off in lieu?
It is paid leave given instead of overtime money for extra hours worked. Rules on how much and when it can be taken depend on the employer and local law.
Is in lieu of too formal for emails?
In a work email it is fine. In a casual note to a friend, instead of reads more naturally.