A liquid crystal composition of the guest-host type contains a pleochroic dye dissolved therein. The dye molecule has an end group or end groups in the molecule represented by the general formula:
wherein Ro designates a straight chain alkyl group, in which methylene groups not adjacent to the nitrogen atom may be substituted by oxygen atom or sulfur atom; R1 designates an alkyl group having a chain length different from the alkyl group of Ro or a group
in R1 a methylene group not adjacent of the nitrogen atom may be substituted by an oxygen atom or sulfur atom, and R2 designates a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, alkoxy group, cycloalkyl group or dialkylamino group.