The present invention relates to a fluorescent material, an illuminator that utilizes the fluorescent material, and an image display device and a lighting device. The present invention provides a fluorescent material, an illuminator that utilizes the fluorescent material, and an image display device and a lighting device that comprise the illuminator; the fluorescent material can be used to provide an illuminator that has high color rendering performance and high brilliance and emits light within green to yellow color range. The fluorescent material is characterized in: it comprises a chemical compound denoted in the following general formula (I), and the chemical compound is based on a parent substance in garnet structure, and the parent substance contains metallic elements that serve asluminescent center ions. M¹_aM²_bX_cM³_dM⁴₃O_e (I) In formula (I), M¹ represents Mg and/or Zn; M² represents two-valence metallic elements except for Mg and Zn; X represents metallic elements that are based on Ce and serve as luminescent center ions; M³ represents three-valence metallic elements except for X; M⁴ represents four-valence metallic elements; and, a, b, c, d, and e are values that meet the following formulae: 0.001 is less than or equal to a is less than or equal to 0.5; 2.5 is less than or equal to b is less than or equal to 3.3; 0.005 is less than or equal to c is less than or equal to 0.5; 1.5 is less than or equal to d is less than or equal to 2.3; e={(a+b) is multiplied by 2+(c+d) is multiplied by 3+12}/2.