The charge transfer complexes formed between some anilides and pi-electron acceptors [picric acid, 2,4-dinitrophenol, 3,5-dinitrobenzoic aicd, 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid and m-dinitrobenzene] are synthesized and characterized. Spectral characteristics and stability of the complexes are investigated and discussed in terms of donor molecular structure, pi-acceptor electron affinity, and solvent polarity. It is deduced that the complexes are mainly of the n-pi* and pi-pi* type where the ground state wave function can be described primarily by the non-bonding structure. The optimum conditions favouring the formation of the coloured complexes are extensively studied for the microdetermina-tion of anilides derivatives in pharmaceutical drugs using nitrobenzene as acceptor; the molecular structure was found to be 1:1 (D:A). Beer's law is obeyed up to 23.0, 18.60 and 16.0 micrograms ml-1 for p(OH), p-(OCH3), and p-N(CH3)2, respectively.