California

[kal-uh-fawrn-yuh, -fawr-nee-uh] / ˌkæl əˈfɔrn yə, -ˈfɔr ni ə /

NOUN

u.s. state

Synonyms

WEAK

Bear Flag State Cal El Dorado Gold Coast Gold Rush State Golden Bear State Golden Poppy State Golden State La La Land Sunkist State

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The fire erupted as much of Southern California is expected to face strong Santa Ana winds this weekend.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

After her condition relapsed before joining OpenAI, Simo decided to work remotely from Southern California.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Even after all of that, he was simply moved back to his previous role in California and allowed to quietly retire.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

The fire was described as about 50 acres in size during its first hour, but it exploded to 1,000 acres by 1 p.m., according to a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

The framed photos of her mother’s ancestors, all the way back to when they’d first come to California from Japan.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz