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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
Michael Savio, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2025
When paired with a computer with the right connection, the P21 can generate snappy USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 throughput speeds, although its benchmark results overall were at best average for its ilk.
—PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025
But what is really catastrophic is what appears to be America abandoning its role as the leader of the free world allowing individuals like Putin and his ilk to intimidate and invade other sovereign areas without worrying about the consequences.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
That’s because rotini, ravioli, rigatoni, and their ilk will suffer a similar fate in the freezer as the veggies above, according to Tsui.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ilk
Cite this Entry
“Ilk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ilk. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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