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.

Elections can take days, and sometimes weeks, to be called in California because most voters cast their ballots by mail.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Then in December 2024, one day before the California Coastal Commission gave its own blessing to the project, the city’s Board of Transportation Commissioners voted to deny transferring the city-owned parking lot to the developers.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

And a majority of California voters — nearly 90% in last year’s special election — use them.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026

What questions do you have about the California primaries–the candidates, the process and what the results will mean for the general election in November?

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

I don’t want to feel this confusion anymore, one piece of me in California, and another piece of me left behind on the other side of the country.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy