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, obviously, is not the kind of state you win by holding a million and one kaffeeklatsches.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

Amazon is taking over all of Globalstar's infrastructure, which includes operations in Louisiana, Georgia, Dublin, Ireland, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Toulouse, France, and two locations in California.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

The funding has helped launch defense and aerospace startups across Southern California, including Costa Mesa autonomous weapons maker Anduril Industries, now valued at more than $30 billion.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

As of Thursday, 48.7% of California was experiencing abnormally dry conditions, and an additional 7.59% of the state was experiencing moderate drought, according to the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

The scientists who had come in from California and Hawaii weren’t as familiar with the mountain as Crandell and Mullineaux; they didn’t realize with their naked eyes how dramatically Mount St. Helens had changed.

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