Liquid crystal display device

A liquid crystal display device having a pair of substrates in which at least one of them is transparent, containing a liquid crystal composition sandwiched in between these substrates and having an alignment layer, a polarizing plate and a transparent electrode, wherein the liquid crystal composition has positive dielectric anisotropy, an elastic constant (K) is 13 pN or more, and the ratio of the elastic constant (K) to the viscosity (η) is 0.8 nN/Pa·s (nm2/s) or more and includes at least one compound selected from the group of compounds represented by formula (1) as a first component:

• wherein R1 is alkyl having 1 to 12 carbons, alkoxy having 1 to 12 carbons, alkenyl having 2 to 12 carbons, or alkenyl having 2 to 12 carbons in which arbitrary hydrogen is replaced by fluorine;
• the ring A is independently tetrahydropyran-2,5-diyl, 1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,3-dioxane-2,5-diyl, 1,4-phenylene, 2-fluoro-1,4-phenylene, 3-fluoro-1,4-phenylene, 3,5-difluoro-1,4-phenylene or 2,5-pyrimidine;
• Z1 is independently a single bond, ethylene or carbonyloxy;
• X1 and X2 are independently hydrogen or fluorine;
• Y1 is fluorine, chlorine or trifluoromethoxy;
• and m is 1, 2 or 3;
• and
• at least one compound selected from the group of compounds represented by formula (2) as a second component:
• wherein R2 and R3 are independently alkyl having 1 to 12 carbons, alkoxy having 1 to 12 carbons, alkenyl having 2 to 12 carbons, or alkenyl having 2 to 12 carbons in which arbitrary hydrogen is replaced by fluorine;
• the ring B and the ring C are independently 1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,4-phenylene, 2-fluoro-1,4-phenylene, 3-fluoro-1,4-phenylene or 2,5-difluoro-1,4-phenylene;
• Z2 is independently a single bond, ethylene or carbonyloxy;
• and p is 1, 2 or 3.