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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
New York Times, 18 June 2024
The Knicks, meanwhile, only dealt second-round picks over two in-season trades (one for OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa, another for Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks) solely to have first-round picks available in case a player of Booker’s ilk were to become available.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2024
For another thing, the book offers little if any basis for its suggestion that Ratner, Goldsmith, or others of their ilk could have applied their talents more usefully during the early years of the war.
—Stephen Pomper, Foreign Affairs, 21 Sep. 2021
The writer had worked hard to get at the truth beneath the gilded superficiality of Babe and her ilk.
—Manuel Betancourt, Vulture, 1 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ilk 
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
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“Ilk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ilk. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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