The invention aims at providing a novel azaaromatic compound having an azafluoranthene skeleton which is useful as the constituent of organic EL devices and at realizing a long lifetime, high-efficiency and practical organic EL device by using the compound in at least one of the organic compound layers. The invention provides azaaromatic compounds having azafluoranthene skeletons as represented by the general formula (1): wherein R.sub.1 to R.sub.12 are each independently hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted aryl having 6 to 40 carbon atoms, trialkylsilyl (wherein each alkyl has 1 to 20 carbon atoms and may be substituted), aryloxy (wherein the aryl has 6 to 40 carbon atoms and may be substituted), halogen atom, or cyano group, with the proviso that at least two of R.sub.1 to R.sub.12 are each cyano group, trifluoromethyl group, or fluorine atom and adjacent two of R.sub.1 to R.sub.12 may be linked together to form a ring structure. ##STR00001##