Patent attributes
What are provided include a liquid crystal composition that satisfies many characteristics among the characteristics such as a wide temperature range of a nematic phase, a suitable optical anisotropy, a negatively large dielectric anisotropy, and a large specific resistance, a liquid crystal composition that satisfies the characteristics and simultaneously has a small optical anisotropy and a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, and preferably approximately −20° C. or less, and a liquid crystal display device containing the composition. The liquid crystal composition has a negative dielectric anisotropy and contains a first component containing a liquid crystal compound containing, as one of the groups having a ring structure, a benzene ring having two hydrogens adjacent to each other replaced by fluorine and chlorine, and a second component containing a liquid crystal compound having a specific structure containing no halogen, and the liquid crystal display device contains the liquid crystal composition.