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.

While the surge in prices is happening around the world, gas costs more in California than almost anywhere else because of higher taxes, fees and cleaner-fuel requirements.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026

This campus will draw 1.4 gigawatts of energy, or enough to power the entire city of San Diego, California.

From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026

For Hockney, this was just as much a paradise as California in the 1960s.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

He went into hiding in 1989 and fled the country in 1997 as the ruling junta tightened its grip, according to articles published by the University of California, Berkeley, on its website.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

He tells her about an American named Marie Dachauer, who lives in Sacramento, California.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly