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.

An ID isn’t required to register or vote in California elections in which federal offices aren’t contested, such as the 2021 gubernatorial recall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

“Every day,” he said, “I learn something new about California that I didn’t know yesterday.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams reportedly had to take a pay cut as a rookie after leaving the University of Southern California.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

“On average, teams outperform lone inventors,” says Lee Fleming, a management professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

There were more earthquakes here in Alaska than anywhere in the lower forty-eight states, even California.

From "I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964" by Lauren Tarshis