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.

Stanford, which ended up winning the national championship, spent most of the year practicing in Arizona because of California laws preventing indoor gatherings.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Mr. Page is a professor emeritus at the University of Southern California.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Even after all of that, he was simply moved back to his previous role in California and allowed to quietly retire.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

“The catastrophe insurance industry in California is incredibly broken and needs some serious repair,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Subprime mortgage loans in Florida would default for the same reasons, and at the same time, as subprime mortgage loans in California.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis