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.

Former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter and state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond also campaigned on limiting the influence of corporate PAC money in elections, or implementing publicly financed elections in California.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

Nebraska, Florida, New York and California, among other states, exempt a primary residence from assets counted for Medicaid eligibility under certain circumstances.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

Hilton has never held elected office before, but has said that if he wins, he will not mirror other California politicians.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

After reading a Times story about Georg Kochi, a retiree who swapped his Koreatown lawn with plants suited for California, Lee was inspired by Kochi’s wild, wabi-sabi-style garden, which embraces the art of imperfect beauty.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

He knew that the San Andreas fault runs north and south for hundreds of miles in California, making that land particularly susceptible to earthquakes.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret