These two seem to get used incorrectly a lot, and it can be easy to do when you’re not really thinking about it.

First of all, these two phrases are not synonymous; they mean quite different things.

“In light of” means “taking into consideration” or “taking into account”. For example: “In light of the recent economic downturn, we won’t be investing in such-and-such a business.” Or, “In light of Mom’s questionable cooking skills, I opt to take her out to dinner.” Literally, it means “in the light of,” which is a great visual to help us remember its meaning.

“In lieu of” means “in place of.” Lieu is the French word for place. So the phrase means “in place of” or “instead of.” Examples: “In lieu of hot dogs for this year’s party, let’s go with hamburgers.” Or “I think we should hire a professional to do the work in lieu of having your sister paint the kitchen.”

Or….

In light of how instructive and fun this grammar site it, I will tell my friends about it.

And…

In lieu of keeping this site a secret, I will tell all my friends to sign up for this site!

Have a good week!