<p>The inventive liquid crystal display is driven in circular polarization mode. A protection plate (22) is provided with a first optical member where a first polarizing plate (23) and a first phase difference plate (24) are laid in layers sequentially in the order of the first phase difference plate and the first polarizing plate from the side close to a liquid crystal display panel. Optical conditions of the first optical member are designed such that the incident light from the observer side becomes elliptically polarized light having an ellipticity of 0.4-1.0 when it passed through the protection plate and the first optical member and the elliptically polarized light impinges on the liquid crystal layer. Consequently, surface reflection on each substrate and film in the liquid crystal display can be reduced effectively.</p>