An adhesive dental composition comprising a polymerizable monomer (1), a polymerizable monomer (2) comprising an acidic moiety, initiator component(s), filler component(s) in an amount of less than about 15 wt.-%, wt.-% with respect to the whole weight of the composition, the polymerizable monomer (1) being characterized as follows: having exactly two (meth)acrylate reactive moieties, having an unsymmetrical backbone as linkage between the (meth)acrylate reactive moieties, the two (meth)acrylate reactive moieties being attached onto the unsymmetrical monomer backbone as alkyl esters, the unsymmetrical backbone comprising one aromatic moiety of the phenolic type, the polymerizable monomer (1) not containing an acidic moiety, other atoms than carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, bisphenol moieties. The invention also relates to the use of the adhesive dental composition as dental adhesive, sealant, cement or for bonding or cementing a material to the surface of hard dental tissue.