Some phenolics were examined as an antioxidant for the autoxidation of soybean oil. Soybean oil was autoxidized under a mild condition (the flow rate of 67㎖ O₂/min and 50℃). The antioxidant effect was estimated by active oxygen method. Phenolics show distinctive antioxidant effect, and the effect is prominent when cupper or iron was added. Phenolics showed a tendency to increase antioxidant effect with an increase of the number of hydroxyl group, and the increasing order was ferulic acid, quinalizarin, sesamol, alizarin, fisetin and purpurogallin. However, the effect was remarkably low in ferulic acid, alizarin and quinalizarin. It was found that the antioxidant effect was dependent on the functional group and geometric molecular structure of phenolics.