According to one embodiment, a white light source includes a combination of a light emitting diode and phosphors. One of the phosphors is at least a cerium activated yttrium aluminum garnet-based phosphor. There is no light emission spectrum peak at which a ratio of a largest maximum value to a minimum value is greater than 1.9. The largest maximum value is largest among at least one maximum value present in a wavelength range of 400 nm to 500 nm in a light emission spectrum of white light emitted from the white light source. The minimum value is adjacent to the largest maximum value in a longer wavelength side of the light emission spectrum.