Disclosed herein is a positive resist composition comprising an alkali-soluble phenolic resin and a photosensitive agent, characterized in that the positive resist composition contains, as the photosensitive agent, the quinonediazide sulfonate of at least one of phenolic compounds represented by the following general formulae (I) and (II): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 through R.sub.4 mean individually a hydrogen or halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an alkyl or alkenyl group having 1-3 carbon atoms, or a hydroxyalkyl group having 1-3 carbon atoms and may be equal to or different from one another, and R.sub.5 denotes a hydrogen atom, an alkyl or alkenyl group having 1-3 carbon atoms, or an aryl group with the proviso that the number of hydroxyl groups is 3 or 4; and ##STR2## wherein R.sub.6 through R.sub.9 mean individually a hydrogen or halogen atom, an alkyl or alkenyl group having 1-3 carbon atoms, or a hydroxyalkyl group having 1-3 carbon atoms and may be equal to or different from one another, and R.sub.10 denotes a hydrogen atom, an alkyl or alkenyl group having 1-3 carbon atoms, or an aryl group with the proviso that the number of hydroxyl groups is 5 and at least one of R.sub.6 through R.sub.9 is an atom or group other than hydrogen atom. It is suitable for use in minute processing.