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The Old English pronoun ilca is the predecessor of the modern noun ilk, but by way of a pronoun ilk that does not exist in most dialects of modern English. That ilk is synonymous with same, and persists in Scots where it's used in the phrase of that ilk, meaning "of the same place, territorial designation, or name." It is used chiefly in reference to the names of land-owning families and their eponymous estates, as in "the Guthries of that ilk," which means "the Guthries of Guthrie." Centuries ago a misunderstanding arose concerning the Scots phrase: it was interpreted as meaning "of that kind or sort," a usage that found its way into modern English. Ilk has been established in English with its current meaning and part of speech since the late 18th century.
Synonyms
Examples of ilk in a Sentence
Linda Laban, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2024
Thankfully, there’s no sign of the twisted, defensive, loudmouth race-baiting that marks the legislative misbehavior of Maxine Waters, Sheila Jackson Lee, Cori Bush, Ayanna Pressley, and their ilk in Regina King’s salutary portrayal.
—Armond White, National Review, 27 Mar. 2024
Today’s groups are... Yellow group — basic tastes Green group — stand up to, as a challenge
Blue group — ilk
Purple group — art movements, with -ism
What Are Today’s Connections Answers?
Spoiler alert!
—Kris Holt, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
Director Reinaldo Marcus Green, who co-wrote the screenplay with Terence Winter, Frank E. Flowers and Zach Baylin, has constructed a work that suffers from the same tunnel vision as other movies of this ilk.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2024
This one is no instant classic, ranking more along the lines of April Fool’s Day than the gold standard of its ilk, Halloween.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Nov. 2023
But the goal that Carlson and his ilk are pushing is that there’s really difference between our systems.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2024
Still, Fertitta and his ilk face pushback from Texans who have qualms with gambling, some from a moral standpoint and some who just don’t want to put casinos in their home state.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 9 Feb. 2024
The mystery series — as noted by many critics — is a descendant of Lost and other sci-fi dramas of its ilk, with a starry ensemble led by Rebecca Ferguson as a rebellious engineer.
—Jace Lacob, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ilk.' 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 ilk
Cite this Entry
“Ilk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ilk. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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