Sierra Nevada

American  

[see-er-uh nuh-vad-uh, -vah-duh, syer-rah ne-vah-thah] / siˈɛr ə nəˈvæd ə, -ˈvɑ də, ˈsyɛr rɑ nɛˈvɑ ðɑ /

noun

1. a mountain range in E California. Highest peak, Mt. Whitney, 14,495 feet (4,420 meters).

2. a mountain range in S Spain. Highest peak, Mulhacén, 11,420 feet (3,480 meters).

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Sierra Nevada British  

noun

1. a mountain range in E California, parallel to the Coast Ranges. Highest peak: Mount Whitney, 4418 m (14 495 ft)

2. a mountain range in SE Spain, mostly in Granada and Almería provinces. Highest peak: Cerro de Mulhacén, 3478 m (11 411 ft)

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Sierra Nevada Cultural  

1. Mountain range in eastern California.

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Discover More

Location of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the United States outside of Alaska.

Example Sentences

The wolf — known as BEY03F — essentially traversed the Sierra Nevada in the span of three to four days, a feat Hunnicutt believes was made possible by a low snowpack this season.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

Jerry Brown stood on brown, barren slopes of the Sierra Nevada to watch scientists measure the most meager snowpack in history.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

This 137-acre, safari-like property on the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains can be yours for $5.1 million.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

With temperatures running far above normal, snow in the Sierra Nevada is likely to melt weeks earlier than usual, reducing the amount of water that can be gradually released into reservoirs later in the year.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

A liquid blue sky stands out against the snow-tipped peaks of the Sierra Nevada.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed