In a liquid crystal display device (100), a first substrate (10) includes a first alignment film (25), a first electrode (24), a dielectric layer (23), and a second electrode (22), in this order away from a liquid crystal layer. One of the first and second electrode includes a plurality of linear portions (24s) which are parallel to each other. The second substrate (30) includes a second alignment film (35) and a light shielding layer (32) in this order away from the liquid crystal layer, the light shielding layer (32) having an opening (32a). The liquid crystal layer (42) contains a nematic liquid crystal material having negative dielectric anisotropy. Liquid crystal molecules contained in the liquid crystal material are aligned essentially horizontally by the first and second alignment films. The opening (32a) of the light shielding layer (32) has two sides which run parallel to the plurality of linear portions (24s) and define the width of the opening. Given distances D1 and D2 from the two sides of the opening (32a) to the closest ones of the plurality of linear portions (24s), (D1+D2)/2 is equal to or greater than 1.0 μm but less than 3.0 μm.