In the crystal of the title Schiff base compound, C<inf>13</inf>H<inf>9</inf>ClN<inf>2</inf>O<inf>2</inf>, [CNBA; systematic name: (E)-N-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(4-nitrophenyl)methanimine], the CNBA molecule shows whole-molecule disorder (occupancy ratio 0.65:0.35), with the disorder components related by a twofold rotation about the shorter axis of the molecule. The aromatic rings are inclined to each other by 39.3 14;(5)° in the major component and by 35.7 14;(9)° in the minor component. In the crystal, C-H O hydrogen bonds predominate in linking the major components, while weak C-H Cl interactions predominate in linking the minor components. The result is the formation of corrugated layers lying parallel to the ac plane. The crystal packing was analysed using Hirshfeld surface analysis and compared with related structures. © 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.