Thermotropic liquid crystalline polyarylate(TLCP) is an essential type of thermotropic liquid crystal polymers which exhibit excellent mechanical properties, good thermal stability, stable dielectric properties and flexibility in processing. With the advent of information age and ever-growing demand for green chemistry, TLCP will occupy an increasingly broad market. From the perspective of polymer synthesis, structure and performances, engineering applications, this review summarizes the recent research progress of TLCP. To begin, the TLCP synthesis methods are described. From the standpoint of molecular design, the primary optimization solutions are described in detail in relation to the disadvantages of TLCP during processing, such as high melt temperature and high melt viscosity. Second, some commercialized TLCPs are introduced, further both the film and fiber variants of TLCP processing are covered. Finally, the main application areas of TLCP are briefly discussed.