The conformation of the N-H bond in the structure of the title compound (3CPA), C(8)H(8)ClNO, is anti to the meta-chloro substituent, in contrast to the syn conformation observed for the ortho-chloro substituent in N-(2-chloro-phen-yl)acetamide, syn to both the ortho and meta chloro substituents in N-(2,3-dichloro-phen-yl)acetamide, and syn to the ortho chloro substituent in N-(2,4-dichloro-phen-yl)acetamide. There are two mol-ecules, linked by an N-H⋯O hydrogen bond, in the asymmetric unit of 3CPA. The bond parameters in 3CPA are similar to those of other acetanilides and the mol-ecules are packed into chains through inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.