Provided is a wide angle diffuser including a plate-shaped body, a plurality of microlenses, and a plurality of prisms. The plate-shaped body has an incident surface on which light is incident and an exit surface through which light is emitted form the plate-shaped body. The microlenses and the prisms are respectively disposed on one of the incident surface and the exit surface. Also provided is a liquid crystal display including a liquid crystal panel, a backlight unit, provided on a rear surface of the liquid crystal panel, which emits collimated light to the liquid crystal panel, and the wide angle diffuser diffusing light passing through the liquid crystal panel.