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.

He also worries about the California state government more than his SATs, college enrollment or his future in tennis matches, despite Harvard-Westlake winning the 2026 CIF Southern Section Division 1 boys tennis championship.

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

Paramount has signaled that it is preparing for a legal fight in California, with both the company and Bonta reportedly assembling superstar antitrust legal teams.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026

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

By the end of August, William Faulkner left California to return to Mississippi.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein