Standard Lemma guide

ilk

adj · noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪlk/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪlk
  • CMU ARPABET: IH1 L K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Very; same.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Northern-England, Scotland, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A type, race or category; a group of entities that have common characteristics such that they may be grouped together.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a kind of person

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • We'll not see his like again
  • I can't tolerate people of his ilk

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: like

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: kind, sort, form, variety

History

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English ilke, from Old English ilca, conjectured as from Proto-Germanic *ilīkaz, a compound of *iz and *-līkaz from the noun *līką (“body”). The sense of “type”, “kind” is from the application of the phrase of that ilk to families: the word thus came to mean family.

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: druh — type, race, or category
  • Czech: typ — type, race, or category
  • Czech: sorta — type, race, or category
  • German: Art — type, race, or category
  • German: Geschlecht — type, race, or category
  • Plautdietsch: Sort — type, race, or category
  • Portuguese: laia — type, race, or category
  • Spanish: tipo — type, race, or category
  • Spanish: índole — type, race, or category
  • Spanish: calaña — type, race, or category
  • Spanish: ralea — type, race, or category
  • Spanish: laya — type, race, or category
  • Spanish: jaez — type, race, or category