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.

Drizzle could dampen Southern California on Monday and Tuesday before a heat wave arrives just in time for Mother’s Day weekend — possibly pushing the thermometer to 90 degrees in downtown L.A. on Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

California challenger Glacier was co-founded by Rebecca Hu-Thrams.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

Officials last year announced enforcement action against the California Fair Plan, the state’s insurer of last resort, for allegedly “systematically denying and limiting smoke damage claims from wildfire survivors.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

The spate of quakes is a reminder that earthquakes are indeed a threat to Nevada — less profound than the seismic risk in California, for sure, but every bit as real.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

As a scientist for the USGS, he was usually based in California, but he had been attending a conference in Seattle when the earthquakes began.

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