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.

There are strict rules in California around the purchasing of dynamite, which is generally restricted to licensed professionals working in mining and quarry operations, building demolitions, tunneling projects and specialized industrial activities.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

Data center proposals have been limited in California compared to Virginia, Texas, Georgia, Illinois and Arizona, which sit at the center of a recent boom in hyperscaler facilities to power artificial intelligence.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

The primaries Tuesday in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, South Dakota and New Mexico provide insight into how the midterms are shaping up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

The rest went to museums in New York, Florida and California.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

A call coming from California would be routed first to Phoenix, I think, or somewhere in Nevada.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse