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In this work, four Pr 3+ -doped CeF 3 crystals with 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 at.% Pr 3+ ion doping levels nominally in the melt have been successfully grown, and their absorption and emission spectra, including fluorescence decay times were analyzed. Especially, yellow and near-infrared (NIR) emissions originating from Pr 3+ : 1 D 2 level were explored in detail. In comparison, 0.2 at.% Pr 3+ -doped sample showed better spectral parameters in all studied crystals. In such a crystal, at 443 nm wavelength, the derived absorption cross-section (σ abs ) is 0.88 × 10 -20 cm 2 with full width at half maximum (FWHM) ∼ 10 nm in π polarization direction, whereas σ abs is 1.32 × 10 -20 cm 2 with FWHM ∼ 6.7 nm in σ polarization direction at the same wavelength. Likewise, the calculated emission cross-section (σ em ) for 594 nm wavelength is 0.69 × 10 -20 cm 2 in π direction and 0.46 × 10 -20 cm 2 in σ direction. Also, acquired σ em at 790, 755, 1014, and 1432 nm wavelengths is 6.15 × 10 -21 cm 2 , 7.33 × 10 -21 cm 2 , 7.66 × 10 -21 cm 2 , and 6.56 × 10 -21 cm 2 individually. Here evaluated fluorescence decay time of 1 D 2 level is ∼ 200.6 μs. Obtained higher σ abs , larger σ em , and higher luminescence decay rates of 0.2 at.% Pr: CeF 3 crystal specify its potential as a gain medium for orange and NIR lasers., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)