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.

“Southern California is very uniquely postured to help NASA,” Glover said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

“There have been some unintended consequences,” said Miguel Santana, chief executive of the California Community Foundation, a nonprofit that supported the tax when it was on local ballots in 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

It should be noted that a majority of beaches on the list are in Southern California and that’s because Northern and Central California counties do not monitor water quality year-round.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

The paper from the University of California, Berkeley found professors teaching AI-exposed classes handed out around 30% more A’s.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 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