Polarization and depolarization behavior of the relaxor-based 0.76Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-0.24PbTiO(3) single crystal has been studied between 25 and 200 degreesC by means of dielectric measurement with or without dc bias, Polarization-Electric field (P-E) hysteresis loop and discharging current measurements. Triple-like P-E loops were obtained in a temperature range between 80 and 90 degreesC, disclosing the transformation between microdomain state and metastable macrodomain state. For the poled crystals, the microdomain state with dipoles partially oriented was indicated to exist in the similar temperature range and mediate between the lower temperature macrodomain state with dipoles oriented and the higher temperature microdomain state with dipoles in a random system. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.