Diphenylamines or N,N'-diphenyl-phenylenediamines can be obtained by heat-reacting an aniline or a phenylenediamine with preferably an excess of a phenol in an amount of 4 to 20 moles per mole of the aniline or phenylenediamine in the presence of a hydrogen transfer catalyst and a cyclohexanone corresponding to said phenol.The excess phenol used in the reaction undergoes reduction in the reaction system to form a cyclohexanone, which in turn reacts with the aniline or phenylenediamine to form a Schiff base and is thus consumed. The Schiff base forms the intended product by means of a dehydrogenation reaction, and the hydrogen evolved at this time reduces the phenol to form a cyclohexanone.The phenol present in excess thus becomes in the system a solvent, a starting material for the cyclohexanone, and an acceptor of the hydrogen that forms as a by-product at the time of formation of the intended product. Hence, it becomes possible to obtain the intended product at a high selectivity from the anilines and phenylenediamines.The process of this invention is an advantageous process for the industrial production of especially the nuclearly substituted diphenylamines.