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.

One table became two, then six locations across Southern California campuses.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026

Authorities in New York, New Jersey, California and in the EU began looking at complaints about ticketing strategies.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

It also required California to make its tax uniform.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Polymarket has an advantage there: U.S. states with the highest Hispanic populations, namely Texas and California, have yet to legalize traditional sports betting.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

First, the underlying loans were heavily concentrated in what Wall Street people were now calling the sand states: California, Florida, Nevada, and Arizona.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis