A liquid crystal composition having a nematic phase that includes three components, wherein the first component is at least one compound selected from the group of compounds represented by Formula (1), the second component is at least one compound selected from the group of compounds represented by Formulas (2-1) to (2-3), and the third component is at least one compound selected from the group of compounds represented by Formula (3): ##STR00001## wherein, for example, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 are alkyl having 1 to 12 carbons; Y.sup.1 is fluorine, --OCF.sub.3 or --OCHF.sub.2; and X.sup.1, X.sup.2, X.sup.3, X.sup.4, X.sup.5 and X.sup.6 are each independently hydrogen or fluorine, provided that at least one of X.sup.4, X.sup.5 and X.sup.6 is fluorine.