Urea ninhydrin monohydrate (UNM) was synthesized and grown for the first time from aqueous solution employing the slow evaporation method. Single crystal structure was determined by X-ray diffraction data and it reveals that the crystal belongs to centrosymmetric with space group of P2(1)/c. The grown crystals were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy. Preliminary Z-scan measurement indicates that nonlinear refractive index of this crystal is -4.1 x 10(-8) cm(2)/W. The etching study was performed to assess the growth pattern of the crystal. Dielectric response of the crystal was analyzed for different frequencies and temperatures. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.