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.

But the connection between El Niño and a soaked Southern California is not a certainty.

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

And a “strong” El Niño in 2023-24 coincided with a pretty wet year for Southern California, with downtown L.A. receiving 155% of its typical annual rainfall.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

That night, he called his girlfriend in California.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone