To provide a cellulose acetate which gives a cellulose acetate optical film exhibiting optical properties as a result of stretching, in which the film shows excellent stretchability and gives a stretched film having excellent optical properties.Disclosed is a cellulose diacetate for a retardation film, having a total degree of acetyl substitution of from 2.27 to 2.56, in which the cellulose diacetate has a polydispersity Mw/Mn of more than 3.0 and 7.5 or less, a degree of substitution at the 6-position of from 0.65 to 0.85, a half height width of acetylation distribution of from 1.0 to 2.3, and a viscosity-average degree of polymerization of 182 or more and 213 or less. The cellulose diacetate for a retardation film preferably has a 6-percent viscosity of from 120 to 230 mPa·s and preferably has a weight-average molecular weight Mw of 205,000 or more and 235,000 or less.
