There is provided a composition for forming a resist underlayer film for lithography that can be used as an underlayer anti-reflective coating that decreases the reflection of irradiated light during exposure from a semiconductor substrate toward the photoresist layer that is formed on the semiconductor substrate and in particular, can be suitably used as a flattening film for flattening a semiconductor substrate having a recess and a project by embedding, in a lithography process for production of a semiconductor device. A resist underlayer film-forming composition for lithography comprising (A) an alicyclic epoxy compound having an alicyclic skeleton and one or more epoxy groups, and a light absorption moiety, in the molecule, (B) a thermal acid generator, and (C) a solvent.