A novel heat-curable acrylic-terminated monomer is provided which exhibits an optically anisotropic melt phase at a temperature which enables it to undergo melt processing in the formation of molded articles, etc. Subsequent to melt processing articles prepared from the monomer are capable of being cured to produce a thermoset self-reinforced composite which is soft and flexible relative to prior art monomers. The monomer may, for example, consist essentially of the reaction product of a methacrylic-substituted phenol and terephthalic acid.