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.

“There’s this common ground here,” said Nemiah Guimbatan, 30, a first-time attendee from California.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

The Sheriff’s Department, at a news conference Wednesday, said that California is the No. 1 state in the U.S. for online fraud, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime 2025 report.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

In California, mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day are legally counted as they arrive in the days following.

From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026

California held its nonpartisan primary last week, and one of the most closely watched contests was the Los Angeles mayoral race.

From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026

I don’t want to feel this confusion anymore, one piece of me in California, and another piece of me left behind on the other side of the country.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy