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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
Quispe López, Them., 30 Oct. 2025
But, yeah, the [cartel] tape with the formula for Walter White’s methamphetamine would be more useful to bad guys of any ilk.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
Brazil drove forward through goalscorer Zaneratto, who turned provider to Dudinha making the most of the space vacated by Le Tissier tasked with pushing up in the ilk of Lucy Bronze.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
That was one of the first designer/premium brands of its era, along with Jordache and people of that ilk.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Ilk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ilk. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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