Anthracene is widely used in the production of dyes, particularly for creating red and orange pigments. It serves as a key starting material in the synthesis of anthraquinone dyes, which are valued for their color fastness and stability in textiles and printing inks.

It is also employed in the manufacturing of plastics and resins, where it contributes to improved thermal and oxidative stability. Anthracene derivatives are important in the development of organic semiconductors and are used in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and field-effect transistors due to their favorable electron-donating properties.

In research, anthracene is used as a scintillator in radiation detection. When doped into plastics or crystals, it emits light upon exposure to ionizing radiation, making it useful in scientific instruments and monitoring devices.

Additionally, it plays a role in photochemical studies and is used in Diels-Alder reactions as a diene to form polycyclic compounds in synthetic organic chemistry.