California
//ˌkæ.lɪˈfɔː.ni.ə// name
name ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
Proper Noun
- 1 The most populous state of the United States. Capital: Sacramento. Largest city: Los Angeles. countable, uncountable
"But my heart cried out for you, California / Oh, California, I'm coming home"
- 2 A region on the west coast of North America comprising the US state of California and the Baja California peninsula in Mexico; historically also including other areas in Alta California and Baja California. countable, historical, uncountable
- 3 Several places in the United States:; A city in Campbell County, Kentucky. countable, uncountable
- 4 Several places in the United States:; A neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky. countable, uncountable
- 5 Several places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in the town of Stockholm, Aroostook County, Maine. countable, uncountable
Show 22 more definitions
- 6 Several places in the United States:; A census-designated place in St. Mary's County, Maryland. countable, uncountable
- 7 Several places in the United States:; A township in Branch County, Michigan. countable, uncountable
- 8 Several places in the United States:; A city, the county seat of Moniteau County, Missouri. countable, uncountable
- 9 Several places in the United States:; A neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. countable, uncountable
- 10 Several places in the United States:; A borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania. countable, uncountable
- 11 Several places in the United States:; A ghost town in Wirt County, West Virginia. countable, uncountable
- 12 Several places in England:; A suburban village and park in Finchampstead parish, Wokingham borough, Berkshire (OS grid ref SU7964). countable, uncountable
- 13 Several places in England:; A neighbourhood of Birmingham, West Midlands (OS grid ref SP0182). countable, uncountable
- 14 Several places in England:; An area of Derby, Derbyshire. countable, uncountable
- 15 Several places in England:; A district of Ipswich, Suffolk. countable, uncountable
- 16 Several places in England:; A southern suburb of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire (OS grid ref SP8113). countable, uncountable
- 17 Several places in England:; An outer suburb of Dunstable, Bedfordshire (OS grid ref TL0120). countable, uncountable
- 18 Several places in England:; A seaside resort in Ormesby St Margaret with Scratby civil parish, Great Yarmouth borough, Norfolk (OS grid ref TG5115). countable, uncountable
- 19 A village in Falkirk council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NS9076). countable, uncountable
- 20 A community in Ontario, Canada. countable, uncountable
- 21 A town in Santander department, Colombia. countable, uncountable
- 22 A town in Usulután department, El Salvador. countable, uncountable
- 23 A neighborhood of Casablanca, Morocco. countable, uncountable
- 24 A barangay of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, Philippines. countable, uncountable
- 25 A barangay of Ubay, Bohol, Philippines. countable, uncountable
- 26 A town in Trinidad and Tobago. countable, uncountable
- 27 University of California, Berkeley. countable, uncountable
Example
More examples"At last, we reached California."
Etymology
Probably Spanish after California, a Utopian island of the Amazons described in Las sergas de Esplandián, a 16th-century Spanish novel. The name comes from the fictional island's Muslim-allied queen, Calafia, whose name may be a play on Arabic خَلِيفَة (ḵalīfa, “caliph”). For more information see: Etymology of California.
Related phrases
More for "california"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.