Definition: The phrase “in lieu of” means instead of. It is a phrase used to present another option for a matter being reviewed.
What Does In Lieu Of Mean?
This phrase originates from the French word “lieu” that means place or position and it can be literally translated as “in the place of”. The expression is commonly used to introduce a substitute that will take the place of a previously mentioned subject or item and it is mostly employed in the legal field or in newsletters or public materials.
In business situations, it can be employed to point out that a substitute is possible for any given scenario. It is more often used in written material than in regular conversations and it can be found in formal literature more frequently than it is found in regular day-to-day content.
Example
Global Telecommunications Co. is a company that provides telecommunication services for individuals in the U.S. Currently the company is evaluating the possibility of offering an internet service for family homes. They will start a pilot test in the state of Alabama to check their software and infrastructure to make sure they function properly. The Chief Executive Officer of the company asked the Purchase Department to evaluate suppliers for the fiber optic cables needed to set up the state’s telecommunication infrastructure.
The department presented three different options: Super Cables LLC, Wired Co. and All Cables USA Inc. The Purchasing Manager suggested the CEO to buy all the fiber optic from Super Cables LLC.
Nonetheless, after reviewing each proposal presented by the suppliers the CEO of the company sent an e-mail to the Purchasing Manager saying the following:
“After a thorough review of the proposals submitted by each supplier, I must say we should pick Wired Co. as our main fiber optic cable supplier for this project in lieu of Super Cables LLC, since they seem to have much better reputation within the industry”.
