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

This is a blockbuster year for Silicon Valley, and the listings will pressure-test investor appetite for the promise of AI.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

The new Siri, along with other upgrades designed to bring more generative AI features to iPhones, Macs and other products, took center stage in Apple’s keynote address at its Worldwide Developers Conference in Silicon Valley.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

The film’s Silicon Valley setting is clearly a very deliberate choice by the filmmakers – and something they remind us of, repeatedly, through such cues.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026

The contest has become the most expensive California gubernatorial race on record, with immense ad spending by Steyer and Silicon Valley support for another Democratic candidate, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Silicon Valley consists of lots of companies that are fiercely competitive with one another.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond