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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
Susan Page, USA Today, 15 June 2026
Olivia Rodrigo is a student of Love and her ilk who has been riding high off the one-two punch of 2021’s Sour and 2023’s Guts, chart-toppers dually indebted to modern pop and ’90s grunge.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 15 June 2026
These series and their ilk, hosted by accounts on TikTok and Instagram, have accrued millions of followers and become the successor to cable news and late-night talk shows as mandatory stops for musicians, actors, and politicians looking to self-promote.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 10 June 2026
Chilling and highly entertaining in equal measure, Weapons is a step above modern horror movies of its ilk thanks to its sharp script and one scene-stealing performance that's best left unspoiled.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Ilk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ilk. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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