ilk

¹ American  

[ilk] / ɪlk /

noun

1. family, class, or kind.

   he and all his ilk.

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adjective

1. same.

idioms

1. of that ilk,

   1. (in Scotland) of the same family name or place.

      Ross of that ilk, i.e., Ross of Ross.

   2. of the same class or kind.

ilk ² American  

[ilk] / ɪlk /

pronoun

1. each.

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adjective

1. each; every.

ilk ¹ British  

/ ɪlk /

noun

1. a type; class; sort (esp in the phrase of that, his, her, etc, ilk )

   people of that ilk should not be allowed here

2. of the place of the same name: used to indicate that the person named is proprietor or laird of the place named

   Moncrieff of that ilk

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ilk ² British  

/ ɪlk, ˈɪlkə /

determiner

1. each; every

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Usage

Although the use of ilk in the sense of sense 1 is sometimes condemned as being the result of a misunderstanding of the original Scottish expression of that ilk , it is nevertheless well established and generally acceptable

Etymology

Origin of ilk¹

before 900; Middle English ilke, Old English ilca (pronoun) the same, equivalent to demonstrative i (cognate with Gothic is he, Latin is that) + a reduced form of līc like ¹; which, such

Origin of ilk²

before 900; Middle English ilk, north variant of ilch, Old English ylc (pronoun) each

Explanation

Ilk is a certain type of person, usually a type you don't care for. The word is used in sentences like "I'm tired of you and your ilk! When you say "you and your ilk," you mean "you and everyone just like you." And that's not usually meant in a nice way. You probably wouldn't talk about Nelson Mandela and his ilk — ilk sounds negative. Usually, you're talking about a criminal and his ilk, or a crooked politician and his ilk. If someone is talking about your ilk, it might be time to get new friends or change your ways.

Example Sentences

To them, “House of David” and its ilk may not be the greatest stories ever told, but they can be as gripping as most legends.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the first supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was in the ilk of the reformists.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

They’ve been making him bundles but represent an ilk with which he can no longer be associated.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

Oliveros’ deep listening and that of other composers of her environmental ilk, particularly the atmospherically ethereal sound worlds of Annea Lockwood, were made for Ojai.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

Captain Strait swaggered out from the ranks of 234 as though he had a long and distinguished history of victory in contests of this ilk.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy