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.

The gap between health-related and other parts of the economy was greater in California than in any other state.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

This independent streak has helped Nollywood weather the ups and downs of the international streaming economy, dominated by the same handful of players in West Africa as it is in Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

Constellation noted two projects reached significant operational milestones last month, targeting grid reliability and decarbonization in California and Texas, respectively.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

NASA's Curiosity rover was developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California.

From Science Daily • May 11, 2026

Fully eight months later, I was in a boatyard farther south in California, getting my bottom paint renewed, and there was a state or county peace officer in the same boatyard.

From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen