There is provided an underlayer coating forming composition for lithography for forming an underlayer coating having a high dry etching rate compared with photoresist, causing no intermixing with the photoresist, and excellent in property of filling hole on the semiconductor substrate, which is used in lithography process of manufacture of semiconductor device. The composition comprises a cyclodextrin compound that 10% to 90% of total number of hydroxy groups in cyclodextrin is converted into an ether or ester group, a crosslinking compound, a crosslinking catalyst and a solvent.