To provide a composition capable of forming an underlying resist layer which excels in etching resistance and antireflection function and reduces scum on an upper layer for image formation, a novel compound added to the composition, and a pattern forming method using the composition.

The underlying resist composition comprises (A) a resin having at least one of an aromatic cyclic hydrocarbon structure and an alicyclic hydrocarbon structure, (B) a methylol phenol compound or a methylol melamine compound which has at least one or more of adamantane structure, is activated by an acid and reacts with the component (A) to form a crosslinked structure, and (C) a compound which is thermally decomposed to generate an acid. The novel compound is a methylol novel phenol compound which is useful for the composition, has at least one or more of adamantane structure, is activated by an acid and reacts with the component (A) to form a crosslinked structure. The pattern forming method uses the composition.