An organic electroluminescent element (10, 101) having at least one organic layer including a light emitting layer (205B, 205G, 205R) sandwiched between a positive electrode and a negative electrode (105, 206), characterized in that an organometallic complex represented by the following General Formula is contained in at least one of the organic layer: wherein Ring A, ring B and ring C represent a 5- or 6-membered aromatic hydrocarbon ring or an aromatic heterocycle, Ra, Rb, Rc and Rd each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a cyano group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an alkoxy group, an amino group, a silyl group, an arylalkyl group, an aryl group, a heteroaryl group, a non-aromatic hydrocarbon ring group, or a non-aromatic heterocyclic group, and they may further have a substituent group, na represents an integer of from 1 to 3, nb and nc each represent an integer of from 1 to 4, nd represents an integer of from 1 to 2, X and Y each represent a single bond, CR1R2, NR3, O, S, or SiR4R5, R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group, a heteroaryl group, a non-aromatic hydrocarbon ring group or a non-aromatic heterocyclic group, L represents one or more of monoanionic bidentate ligands coordinated to M, M represents a transition metal atom having an atomic number of 40 or more and belonging to any one of Groups 8 to 10 of the periodic table, m and n represent an integer of from 1 to 2, and m + n is 2 or 3, with the proviso that in no case the structures of three ligands that are coordinated to M are identical to each other, and with the proviso that, when X represents O and Y represents a single bond, M does not simultaneously represent Ir. Ring A, ring B and ring C represent a 5- or 6-membered aromatic hydrocarbon ring or an aromatic heterocycle, Ra, Rb, Rc and Rd each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a cyano group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an alkoxy group, an amino group, a silyl group, an arylalkyl group, an aryl group, a heteroaryl group, a non-aromatic hydrocarbon ring group, or a non-aromatic heterocyclic group, and they may further have a substituent group, na represents an integer of from 1 to 3, nb and nc each represent an integer of from 1 to 4, nd represents an integer of from 1 to 2, X and Y each represent a single bond, CR1R2, NR3, O, S, or SiR4R5, R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group, a heteroaryl group, a non-aromatic hydrocarbon ring group or a non-aromatic heterocyclic group, L represents one or more of monoanionic bidentate ligands coordinated to M, M represents a transition metal atom having an atomic number of 40 or more and belonging to any one of Groups 8 to 10 of the periodic table, m and n represent an integer of from 1 to 2, and m + n is 2 or 3, with the proviso that in no case the structures of three ligands that are coordinated to M are identical to each other, and with the proviso that, when X represents O and Y represents a single bond, M does not simultaneously represent Ir.