In an image forming optical system having a positive lens group, a negative lens group, and an aperture stop, the positive lens group being disposed at an image-plane side of the aperture stop and having a cemented lens, and when a straight line indicated by Nd=α×νd+β (where, α=−0.017) is set, Nd and νd of at least one lens forming the cemented lens are included in both an area which is determined by a line when a lower limit value is in a range of a following conditional expression (1), and a line when an upper limit value is in a range of the following conditional expression (1), and in an area determined by following conditional expressions (2) and (3) 1.45