Starting with nanopowders synthesized via carbonate coprecipitation, fully dense Ce1-xY O-x(2-delta) (x=0.025-0.35) ceramics have been fabricated via pressureless sintering at a temperature as low as 950 degrees C. Y3+-doping retards both densification and grain growth, but its effect tends to saturate at similar to 10 at.%. Sintering atmosphere was found in this work greatly affecting the grain growth during sintering, and a more oxidative one favors finer grain sizes. Grain growth of the yttrium-doped CeO2 ceramics obeys the parabolic law (normal growth) in the investigated temperature range 950-1400 degrees C, and its activation energy increases from 115.3 kJ/mol at 2.5 at.% of Y3+ to 293.2 kJ/mol at 35 at.% of Y3+. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.