Patent ID: 8040468

Claim:
A liquid crystal display device comprising: a pair of polarizing layers disposed so that respective absorption axes thereof are orthogonal to each other; a liquid crystal cell comprising: a first substrate and a second substrate being disposed so that they face each other between the pair of the polarizing layers, at least one of which has a transparent electrode, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and a retardation layer disposed between at least one of the pair of the polarizing layers and the liquid crystal cell, wherein an in-plane slow axis of the retardation layer is within the direction of 90±40 degrees relative to an absorption axis of the polarizing layer disposed at a closer position to the retardation layer; retardation in plane at a wavelength of 550 nm, Re(550), of the retardation layer meets following relation (I): 25 nm≦ Re (550)≦230 nm (I) R[40°] of the retardation layer, which is retardation measured for incident light having a wavelength of 550 nm coming in a direction tilted by 40 degrees toward the tilt direction of the retardation layer relative to the normal line of the retardation layer, the direction being in a plane (incident plane) which includes the normal line and the tilt direction of the retardation layer, meets following relation (II): 0 nm≦ R[ 40°]≦300 nm (II) and R[+40°] of the retardation layer, which is retardation measured for incident light having a wavelength of 550 nm coming in a first direction tilted by 40 degrees toward the tilt direction of the retardation layer relative to the normal line of the retardation layer, and R[−40°] of the retardation layer, which is retardation measured for incident light having a wavelength of 550 nm coming in a second direction tilted by 40 degrees oppositely toward the tilt direction of the retardation layer relative to the normal line of the layer, meet following relation (III): 1 <R[+ 40 °]/R[− 40°] (III) provided that the first and second directions are directions in a same plane (incident plane) that includes the normal line and the tilt direction of the retardation layer, and R[+40°]>R[−40°].