Disclosed is an organic electroluminescent device (organic EL device) which is improved in luminous efficiency, sufficiently secures driving stability, and has a simple configuration. The organic EL device of this invention comprises a light-emitting layer between an anode and a cathode piled one upon another on a substrate wherein the light-emitting layer contains a phosphorescent dopant and a 1,9-substituted carbazole compound as a host material. An example of the 1,9-substituted carbazole compound is represented by the following general formula (1). In formula (1), Ar is an aromatic hydrocarbon group or aromatic heterocyclic group; L is an aromatic hydrocarbon group or aromatic heterocyclic group; each of R1 to R3 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aromatic hydrocarbon group, or an aromatic heterocyclic group; n is an integer of 1 to 3.