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 California Democrat and Texas Republican said they planned to leave Congress in the wake of sexual-misconduct allegations that sparked calls for them to quit or face expulsion votes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

California health officials are urging high-risk residents to get vaccinated against mpox after a potentially more-severe strain of the virus was detected for the first time in San Francisco.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

The service is available to people in California, Florida, New York, Texas and Washington state, where NewDays’ team of neuropsychologists are licensed to practice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

But biologists at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the footage and determined it showed a human in a bear suit.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

I don’t want to feel this confusion anymore, one piece of me in California, and another piece of me left behind on the other side of the country.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy