Raman scattering has been used to probe short-range structural information on lanthanum-doped lead titanate ceramics(LaxPb1−xTiO3)forx,ranging from 0.0 to 0.30. In highly doped samples(x>0.27),x-ray diffraction measurements indicate a cubic structure, although measurements of Raman scattering at temperatures above and below the tetragonal to cubic transition showed a residual short-range structural disorder in the cubic phase. Moreover, for these highly lanthanum-doped samples, a well-defined temperature-induced ferro–paraelectric phase transition disappears, which suggests a relationship between local disorder and relaxor behavior in this material. ©1998 American Institute of Physics.