Résumé dans la langue de publication, traduction non disponible Chlorobenzene derivatives which have the following four-ring structure and are preferably usable for display devices of active matrix mode, and liquid crystal compositions comprising the derivative are provided: wherein ring A, ring B, ring C independently represent trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group or 1,4-phenylene group one or more hydrogen atoms on the six-membered ring of which may be replaced by halogen atoms, Z1 , Z2 , and Z3 represent -CH2 CH2 - or covalent bond, respectively, provided that at least one of them represents -CH2 CH2 -, L1 and L2 represent H or halogen atom, and R represents an alkyl group or alkoxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms provided that when Z1 and Z3 represent covalent bond and Z2 represents -CH2 CH2 -, ring A represents 1,4-phenylene group, and when Z1 and Z2 represent covalent bond, and Z3 represents -CH2 CH2 -, in no case represents ring A trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group and both ring B and ring C represent 1,4-phenylene group at the same time. The liquid crystalline compounds have both of a large optical anisotropy and a large dielectric anisotropy, exhibit a liquid crystal phase at a wide temperature range, and have a good miscibility with known liquid crystalline compounds at low temperatures, and thus they can provide liquid crystal compositions particularly preferable for TFT mode.