Structural and dielectric properties of Ce-doped ${\text{BaTi}}_{0.97}$${\text{Y}}_{0.03}$O₃ powders, with the chemical formulation (Ba${{}_{1-}}_x$${\text{Ce}}_x)$(Ti(${{}_{0.97-}{}_x}_{/4})$- ${\text{Y}}_{0.03})$O₃ such as $x$ = 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, 7% and 9%, produced by the sol–gel method, have been investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that Ce${}^{3+}$ ions incorporated Ba sites until $x$= 7% indicating that this concentration represents a solubility limit of Ce${}^{3+}$ ions in ${\text{BaTi}}_{0.97}$${\text{Y}}_{0.03}$O₃ matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed a decrease in grain size down to the same concentration of 7%. Raman spectroscopy analysis showed the appearance of ${\text{A}}_{1g}$ mode, which we attributed to the effect of incorporation of Ce${}^{3+}$ and Y${}^{3+}$ in BaTiO₃ matrix. Dielectric measurements revealed that doping with cerium lowers the temperature of permittivity maximum at the ferroelectric-to-paraelectric transition (FPT) of the ${\text{BaTi}}_{0.97}$${\text{Y}}_{0.03}$O₃ sample, and reaches a value that should be below ${40}^{\circ }$C for $x$= 9%. Moreover, the phenomenon of dielectric resonance was observed on all Ce-doped samples, which was not the case with other dopants as reported in the literature.Structural and dielectric properties of Ce-doped ${\text{BaTi}}_{0.97}$${\text{Y}}_{0.03}$O₃ powders, with the chemical formulation (Ba${{}_{1-}}_x$${\text{Ce}}_x)$(Ti(${{}_{0.97-}{}_x}_{/4})$- ${\text{Y}}_{0.03})$O₃ such as $x$ = 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, 7% and 9%, produced by the sol–gel method, have been investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that Ce${}^{3+}$ ions incorporated Ba sites until $x$= 7% indicating that this concentration represents a solubility limit of Ce${}^{3+}$ ions in ${\text{BaTi}}_{0.97}$${\text{Y}}_{0.03}$O₃ matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed a decrease in grain size down to the same concentration of 7%. Raman spectroscopy analysis showed the appearance of ${\text{A}}_{1g}$ mode, which we attributed to the effect of incorporation of Ce${}^{3+}$ and Y${}^{3+}$ in BaTiO₃ matrix. Dielectric measurements revealed that doping with cerium lowers the temperature of permittivity maximum at the ferroelectric-to-paraelectric transition (FPT) of the ${\text{BaTi}}_{0.97}$${\text{Y}}_{0.03}$O₃ sample, and reaches a value that should be below ${40}^{\circ }$C for $x$= 9%. Moreover, the phenomenon of dielectric resonance was observed on all Ce-doped samples, which was not the case with other dopants as reported in the literature.