Herbicidal compositions comprising containing sulfonanilides of the formula (I), wherein R1 represents hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, C1-4 alkyl, C1-4 alkoxy, C3-6 cycloalkyl-C1-4 alkyloxy or C1-4 haloalkoxy, R2 represents hydrogen, fluorine or chlorine, R3 represents hydrogen or fluorine, R4 represents hydrogen or C1-4 alkyl which may be optionally C1-4 alkoxy-substituted, C3-6 alkenyl or C3-6 alkynyl, R5 represents hydrogen, R6 represents hydroxy, fluorine or chlorine, or R5 and R6 may form, together with the carbon to which they are bonded, C═O, and X represents CH or N, provided that the following cases are excluded: (i) R1 represents hydrogen, fluorine or chlorine, R2 represents hydrogen, R3 represents hydrogen, R4 represents hydrogen, R5 represents hydrogen, and R6 represents hydroxy, (ii) R1 represents hydrogen, fluorine or chlorine, R2 represents hydrogen, R3 represents hydrogen, R4 represents hydrogen, and R5 and R6 form C═O together with the carbon to which they are bonded, (iii) R1 represents C1-4 alkyl, R2 represents hydrogen, R3 represents hydrogen, R4 represents hydrogen, R5 represents hydrogen, R6 represents hydroxy, and X represents CH, or (iv) R1 represents C1-4 alkyl, R2 represents hydrogen, R3 represents hydrogen, R4 represents hydrogen, R5 and R6 form C═O together with the carbon to which they are bonded, and X represents CH, and new compounds being embraced by the formula (I).