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The noun ilk comes from the Old English pronoun ilca by way of a pronoun ilk that is still in use, but not in most modern English dialects. That ilk is synonymous with same, and persists chiefly in Scotland where it's used in the phrase "of that ilk," meaning "of the same place, territorial designation, or name." It is generally used in reference to the names of land-owning families and their eponymous estates, as in "the Grants of that ilk," which means "the Grants of Grant." In the late 1700s, the Scots phrase extended to mean "of that kind or sort," a usage that found its way into modern English.
Examples of ilk in a Sentence
Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
The films of Ephron, Meyers, Woody Allen and their ilk are typically populated solely by the affluent, New Yorkers with fabulous uptown apartments, downtown lofts or spacious homes in the suburbs.
—Jason Bailey, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
In the West, generative AI may beget even more totalitarian classicism—either of the pre-Mannerist or of the post-Mannerist ilk.
—Mario Carpo, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
Other young targets of similar ilk include French second-tier side Caen’s Tidiam Gomis, also 18, who had been in advanced discussions to join last week, but Villa remain in battle for the midfielder with other clubs including RB Leipzig of Germany.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Ilk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ilk. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
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