We report the effect of cobalt ferrite (CoFe O 2 4) nanoparticles on dielectric and ferroelectric properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF). Large enhancements in dielectric constant and remanent polarization upon addition of 5 wt.% CoFe O 2 4 nanoparticles to PVDF have been observed. Nearly 17% increase of dielectric constant and 31% increase in remanent polarization was observed in PVDF-CoFe O 2 4 nanocomposite films as compared to pristine PVDF films prepared under identical conditions. These enhancements were accompanied by a decrease in crystallinity and an increase in electroactive β-phase content as evidenced by x-ray diffraction and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. A 5% increase in the amount of β-phase content is also observed in nanocomposite films. These enhancements in dielectric constant and remanent polarization are attributed to the influence of CoFe O 2 4 nanoparticles on nucleation, morphology, dipole aligning and dipole pinning behavior of PVDF. © 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd.