Diphenylamine of the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.4 each independently represent a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, lower alkyl having 1-6 carbon atoms, lower alkoxy having 1-6 carbon atoms, amino, lower alkyl amino wherein the alkyl moiety has 1-6 carbon atoms, acylamino, lower carbamylalkyl amino wherein the alkyl moiety has 1-6 carbon atoms, lower hydroxyalkyl amino wherein the alkyl moiety has 1-6 carbon atoms, lower carbalkoxy amino wherein the alkoxy moiety has 1-6 carbon atoms and ureido;R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 each independently represent a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, lower alkyl having 1-6 carbon atoms, lower alkoxy having 1-6 carbon atoms, acylamino and ureido;R.sub.5 and R.sub.8 each independently represent a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, lower alkyl having 1-6 carbon atoms and lower alkoxy having 1-6 carbon atoms; andR.sub.6 and R.sub.7 are lower alkyl having 1-6 carbon atoms, with the proviso that (a) when both R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 represent methyl (1) one of R.sub.1 and R.sub.4 must represent a member selected from the group consisting of amino, lower alkyl amino wherein the alkyl moiety has 1-6 carbon atoms, lower carbamylalkyl amino wherein the alkyl moiety has 1-6 carbon atoms, lower hydroxyalkyl amino wherein the alkyl moiety has 1-6 carbon atoms and ureido, or (2) one of R.sub.1 and R.sub.4 represent acylamino and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are not both hydrogen, and (b) that when both R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 represent ethyl, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are other than tertiobutyl.The said diphenylamine is employed in a dye composition for dyeing keratinic fibers.