<p>In the field of optoelectronic applications, the nonlinear optical properties gain more importance. In the present work, we describe the linear and nonlinear optical characteristics of spray deposited CdO and Pr dopant added CdO thin films. The optical properties such as absorption coefficient, extinction coefficient, refractive index, dielectric constant with imaginary and real part, optical polarization, optical conductivity and optical susceptibility and electrical susceptibility of undoped and Pr-CdO thin films have been assessed using UV-Visible-NIR spectroscopy analysis. The optical nonlinearities such as third order susceptibility, nonlinear refractive index, nonlinear absorption coefficient of undoped and Pr doped CdO thin films have been examined using Z-scan, f-scan, Eclipse Z-scan and Top-Hat beam Z-scan techniques. The laser damage threshold of CdO and Pr doped CdO thin films have been examined using the Q-switched Nd-YAG laser and the optical limiting behavior of prepared films have been carried out. Last but not least, the nonlinear optical characteristics support a wide range of technologies in the fields of lasers, sensing, telecommunications, and material processing. These include advanced spectroscopy for scientific analysis, frequency conversion for new light sources, and optical switching and modulation for high-speed data.</p>