There is provided a liquid crystal composition having the following properties without reductions in refractive index anisotropy (Δn) and nematic phase-isotropic liquid phase transition temperature (Tni): sufficiently small viscosity (η), sufficiently small rotational viscosity (γ1), a large elastic constant (K33), and negative dielectric anisotropy (Δε) with a large absolute value. There is also provided a liquid crystal display device of, for example, a VA type in which such a liquid crystal composition is used and which has a high response speed and excellent display quality with defective display being eliminated or reduced. The liquid crystal display device using the liquid crystal composition of the present invention is useful as an active-matrix liquid crystal display device and can be used in liquid crystal display devices of, for instance, a VA mode and PSVA mode.