A liquid crystal display device of a simplified structure and a widened viewing angle are provided. The liquid crystal display device having a stacked structure with its component plates and layers laid one over another in the following top-down order, comprises a first polarizing plate of α in optic-axial angle, a first λ/2 retardation plate of β in the optic-axial angle, a first λ/4 retardation plate of γ in the optic-axial angle, a liquid crystal layer located as an interlayer between two of substrates and having its opposite major surfaces oriented in vertical directions, a second λ/4 retardation plate disposed in phase or in parallel with the first λ/4 retardation plate (i.e., the optic-axial angle of γ), a second λ/2 retardation plate of (2γ−β) in the optic-axial angle, and a second polarizing plate of (π/2−α+2γ) in the optic-axial angle.