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.

Hockney's style changed radically a few years later, after he travelled to California for the first time in 1964.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

In California, language related to the internment of Japanese Americans at the Manzanar National Historic Site, as well as the history of Indigenous people in Death Valley and Muir Woods came under scrutiny.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026

Five California residents were exposed to a strain of the hantavirus, known as Andes virus, that spread on a Dutch cruise ship and killed three people.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026

California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office said this week the acquisition "remains an active investigation."

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

“Seems like I ought to help. Become a land rush man. Set aside my guns. California and the Pacific Ocean aren’t going anywhere.”

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes