A liquid crystal composition containing azo dyes represented by the formula (I.sub.0) ##STR1## wherein X represents ##STR2## A.sup.1 represents --O-- or --NH--, R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxyalkyl group, an aryloxyalkyl group, a dialkylaminoalkyl group, an arylaminoalkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkoxyalkoxy group, an arylalkoxy group, an aryl group, a halogen atom or a group of ##STR3## D.sup.1 and D.sup.2 each represents an aromatic group which does not contain an ionic group; U.sup.1 and U.sup.2 each represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a methyl group, a methoxy group or an ethoxy group;Y.sup.1 represents --O-- or ##STR4## R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or may be connected to Z.sup.10 to Z.sup.12 to form a ring;Z.sup.4 to Z.sup.12 each represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, a hydroxy group, an acylamino group or a cyano group, or Z.sup.4 and Z.sup.5, Z.sup.7 and Z.sup.8, and Z.sup.10 and Z.sup.11 may be connected to each other to form an aromatic ring; andn represents 0, 1 or 2.