The Cadmium oxide doped in nanocrystalline polyaniline (CdO/PANI) composite were prepared with various weight percentages by in situ polymerization method using aniline, ammonium per sulfate, and CdO as starting materials. The frequency dependent conductivity and dielectric behavior of PANI/CdO composites have been studied. The formation of nano PANI and PANI/CdO composites with regards to the structural and microstructural properties of the materials were investigated by XRD, FTIR, and SEM techniques. The variation of sigma(ac) with frequency obeys Jonscher power law except a small deviation in the low frequency region and is due to dipole polarization effect. The sigma(ac) increases with increase in CdO concentration. Studies of dielectric properties at lower frequencies show that the relaxation behavior is superimposed by dipole polarization effect. The appearance of peak for each concentration in the loss tangent suggests the presence of relaxing dipoles in the PANI/CdO composite. On addition of CdO, the peak shifts toward higher frequency side indicating the speed up of the relaxation time. Analysis of frequency dependent dielectric suggests that the electronic and polymer segmental motions are strongly coupled. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 123: 1928-1934, 2012