Silicon Valley

American  

noun

1. the area in northern California, southwest of San Francisco in the Santa Clara valley region, where many of the high-technology design and manufacturing companies in the semiconductor industry are concentrated.

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Silicon Valley British  

noun

1. an industrial strip in W California, extending S of San Francisco, in which the US information technology industry is concentrated

2. any area in which industries associated with information technology are concentrated

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Silicon Valley Cultural  

1. A region on the San Francisco Peninsula in California where the miniaturized electronics industry is centered, so called because most of the devices built there are made of semiconductors such as silicon.

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The term is often used as a catchword to describe the development of high-tech industry (see also high-tech): “If we can attract this corporation to our town, we could become another Silicon Valley.”

Etymology

Origin of Silicon Valley

So called from the silicon wafers employed in semiconductor devices

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Silicon Valley

The issue of unrealized losses at banks came to a head after the run on Silicon Valley Bank in 2023.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

The growth in New York highlights how tech workers are spilling into other industries and cities as Silicon Valley companies lay off workers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

The move yanked higher a stock market top-heavy with Silicon Valley giants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

The guest list included Amodei himself, plus the company’s top scientist and other key executives, as well as AI luminaries and members of the Silicon Valley elite.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

After graduating from Berkeley, Joy cofounded the Silicon Valley firm Sun Microsystems, which was one of the most critical players in the computer revolution.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell