California Definition & Meaning

American

British

Cultural

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Other Word Forms

Examples

Synonyms California American [kal-uh-fawrn-yuh, -fawr-nee-uh] / ˌkæl əˈfɔrn yə, -ˈfɔr ni ə /

noun

1. a state in the western United States, on the Pacific coast. 158,693 square miles (411,015 square kilometers). Sacramento. CA (for use with zip code), Cal., Calif.

2. Gulf of California, an arm of the Pacific Ocean, extending northwest between the coast of western Mexico and the peninsula of Baja California. About 750 miles (1,207 kilometers) long; 62,600 square miles (162,100 square kilometers).

California British / ˌkælɪˈfɔːnɪə /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Cal.. Calif.. CA. a state on the W coast of the US: the third largest state in area and the largest in population; consists of a narrow, warm coastal plain rising to the Coast Range, deserts in the south, the fertile central valleys of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, and the mountains of the Sierra Nevada in the east; major industries include the growing of citrus fruits and grapes, fishing, oil production, electronics, information technology, and films. Capital: Sacramento. Pop: 35 484 453 (2003 est). Area: 411 015 sq km (158 693 sq miles)

2. an arm of the Pacific Ocean, between Sonora and Lower California

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 California Cultural

1. State in the Far West bordered by Oregon to the north; Nevada and Arizona to the east; Baja California, Mexico, to the south; and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Its capital is Sacramento, and its largest city is Los Angeles.

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The state is famous for all the fads and ideas that originate there, many of which are considered strange or eccentric.

California is the most populous state. It is known for its earthquakes, high-tech (see also high-tech) industries (see Silicon Valley), and agriculture.

During the California gold rush tens of thousands of people poured into California in search of gold. It is sometimes called the “Golden State.” (See forty-niners.)

Other Word Forms

• Californian adjective

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.

Lucid filed a notice with the California Employment Development Department on Friday confirming the layoffs, which will affect employees at the company’s headquarters in Newark, Calif.

From Los Angeles Times

The first major testing of such technology came in the 1970s in California, although roots can be found decades earlier.

From MarketWatch

The problems date back to at least 2021 and have prompted thousands of complaints, becoming "known problems" within Walmart, according to the claim, which was filed in federal court in California.

From BBC

The filings were released after D4vd's family were summoned by a California court to testify before the grand jury.

From BBC

While Um, the California financial planner, had a personal-loan success story with one client, it didn’t work out so well for another.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.