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.

A legal maneuver once reserved for death row inmates and suspected terrorists has become the only recourse for immigrant detainees, who have flooded federal courts in California with thousands of petitions for freedom.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

The outage affected major institutions including Columbia University, Princeton University, Rutgers University and the University of California network, according to reporting from multiple university statements.

From Salon • May 9, 2026

"But native western drywood termites are also important, especially in California."

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

Clairisa Mattig-Smith thought she and her kids would have to move out of California due to the high cost of living.

From MarketWatch • May 9, 2026

By the end of August, William Faulkner left California to return to Mississippi.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein