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.

California families learned the Justice Department was pursuing their medical records only after NYU Langone Health disclosed it had received a criminal subpoena May 7 in Fort Worth, Texas.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

Polymarket has an advantage there: U.S. states with the highest Hispanic populations, namely Texas and California, have yet to legalize traditional sports betting.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

Your capital gain would be $400, and the federal tax due on that would be as much as $80, while for California taxpayers, the state tax due would be as much as $53.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026

Justice Department from compelling records from any other California hospital that may be subject to similar subpoenas, the contents and scope of which remain secret.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 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