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.

Several other strains of the bacteria exist and can infect other host plants, including citrus, stone fruits, almonds, oleander and some shade trees, according to the California Pierce’s Disease Control Program.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

It took Landon Donovan, the laid-back California kid with the number 10 on his back, to change that.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Measure ER passing would raise the countywide sales tax to 10.25%, with some individual cities having a sales tax of more than 11%, according to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

After the 2025 fires in southern California even pols like Mr. Newsom at least pretended to acknowledge the need to manage the Golden State’s landscape aggressively to reduce fire risk.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

But Mike Burry was holed up in his office in San Jose, California, and wasn’t talking to anyone.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis