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.

“It has taken us across California, it’s taken us across the nation and it’s even taken us across our national borders.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

The astronauts did the first slingshot around the Moon in more than 50 years and traveled deeper into space than any humans before -- culminating in a smooth splashdown Friday off the coast of California.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

California became the first state to follow in the footsteps of the European Union, which outlawed the additives between 1990 and 2008.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

From the Rocky Mountains west to California and into Western Canada, record numbers of resorts closed early this season.

From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026

“You couldn’t do the analysis. You couldn’t say, ‘Give me all the ones with all California in them.’

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis