A composition for use in an electro-optical device, particularly a display device, contains anthraquinone pleochroic dye of formula (I): ##STR1## where R.sub.1 is a substituted or unsubstituted amino group or a hydroxy group; each of R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, which are identical or different, is a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted amino group, a hydroxy group or a nitro group; R is a hydrogen or halogen atom or a hydroxy, lower alkyl or lower alkoxy group; n is 1, 2, 3 or 4, the Rs being identical or different when n is 2, 3 or 4; X is a hydrogen or halogen atom, a hydroxy or mercapto group, a straight, branched or cyclic C.sub.1-16 alkyl radical, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a group of formula ##STR2## where R' is a hydrogen atom or a straight, branched or cyclic C.sub.1-10 alkyl residue, and Y is a hydrogen atom or a side chain of the formula: ##STR3## where X', R" and n' have the same definitions as and are respectively identical to or different from X, R and n, the side chain being in position 6 when the compound is substituted in position 2 and in position 7 when it is substituted in position 3.Compounds of formula (I) have a high order parameter and are very stable.