A (meth)acrylate represented by the following formula (1): ##STR00001## wherein each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an ethyl group; either one of X.sup.1 or X.sup.2 represents a (meth)acryloyloxy group and the other represents a hydrogen atom; both A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 represent hydrogen atoms, or A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 form --O--, --CH.sub.2-- or --CH.sub.2CH.sub.2--, which can be produced by first producing a lactone by reducing an addition product obtained by the Diels-Alder reaction between 1,3-diene and maleic anhydride, and then hydrating the lactone to produce an alcohol followed by (meth)acrylation of the alcohol; a polymer produced by (co)polymerizing a monomer composition comprising the (meth)acrylate of the present invention is excellent in transparency, dry etching resistance, and solubility in organic solvents, and so it is preferably used as a resin for a chemically amplified resist composition.