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.

The tacos in Texas are definitely better because we have flour tortillas, and apparently, flour tortillas aren’t a thing in California.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

Yesterday, your sister’s birthday gift came from a Shopify store run by a kitchenware designer in Sacramento, California.

From Salon • May 27, 2026

She went to jazz clubs in Chicago, skiing in the California mountains and boating on Lake Union in Seattle.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

And where better to do that than in the most walkable city in California?

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

California had been in a drought for ten of the thirteen years she’d been alive.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz