An electrolyte for a lithium battery includes a non-aqueous organic solvent, lithium salts, and an additive compound of formula (1): ##STR00001## where X is selected from the group consisting of an alkyl, an alkoxy, a halogen, and an electron withdrawing group. The lithium battery having the electrolyte shows improved electrochemical properties, such as capacity at high rate and safety characteristics compared to a battery including the conventional non-aqueous electrolyte which does not include the additive compound.