The subject is to provide a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one characteristic of characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a negatively 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 two characteristics thereof. The subject 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 liquid crystal composition having a negative dielectric anisotropy that contains a specific compound having negatively large dielectric anisotropy as the first component, a specific compound having negatively large dielectric anisotropy and a low minimum temperature as the second component, a specific compound having a high maximum temperature and a small viscosity as the third component, and a specific compound having a negatively especially large dielectric anisotropy as the fourth component, and provides a liquid crystal display device containing the composition.