The subject is to provide a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one characteristic among the characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a large optical anisotropy, a large dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a high stability to ultraviolet light and a high stability to heat, or that is suitably balanced regarding at least the two characteristics. It is to provide an AM device that has a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a large contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth.The invention provides a nematic liquid crystal composition that include a specific optically active compound as a first component and a specific compound having a positively large dielectric anisotropy as a second component, and that may include a specific compound having a high maximum temperature or a small viscosity as a third component, and a specific compound having a small minimum temperature and a positively large dielectric anisotropy as a fourth component, and provides a liquid crystal display device including this composition.