<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001205252-03-000004
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20030724
<FILING-DATE>20030728
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>DANAHER CORP /DE/
<CIK>0000313616
<ASSIGNED-SIC>3823
<IRS-NUMBER>591995548
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>DE
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>2099 PENNSYLVANIA AVE N.W., 12TH FLOOR
<CITY>WASHINGTON
<STATE>DC
<ZIP>20006
<PHONE>2028280850
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>2099 PENNSYLVANIA AVE. N.W., 12TH FLOOR
<CITY>WASHINGTON
<STATE>DC
<ZIP>20006
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
<FORMER-COMPANY>
<FORMER-CONFORMED-NAME>DMG INC
<DATE-CHANGED>19850221
</FORMER-COMPANY>
</ISSUER>
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>DITKOFF JAMES H
<CIK>0001205252
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>001-08089
<FILM-NUMBER>03805021
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>DANAHER CORP
<STREET2>2099 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW 12TH FL
<CITY>WASHINGTON
<STATE>DC
<ZIP>20006
<PHONE>2029280850
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>DANAHER CORP
<STREET2>2099 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW 12TH FL
<CITY>WASHINGTON
<STATE>DC
<ZIP>20006
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>edgar.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-07-24</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000313616</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>DANAHER CORP /DE/</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>DHR</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001205252</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>DITKOFF JAMES H</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>2099 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>WASHINGTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>DC</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>20006</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>Senior VP--Finance &amp; Tax</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common stock, par value $.01 per share</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-07-24</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>G</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>4004</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>0</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>4004</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By trust</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common stock, par value $.01 per share</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-07-24</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>G</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>4004</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>0</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>0</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By trust</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common stock, par value $.01 per share</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-07-24</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>D</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>5000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>70.60</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>64959</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common stock, par value $.01 per share</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-07-24</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>D</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>5000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>70.45</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>59959</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common stock, par value $.01 per share</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-07-24</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>D</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>10000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>70.50</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>49959</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common stock, par value $.01 per share</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>30000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By spouse</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common stock, par value $.01 per share</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>21062</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>401(k) plan</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding></nonDerivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Shares held in a trust, the trustee of which was the reporting person's spouse, were gifted to an adult child of the reporting person.</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>James F. O'Reilly, attorney-in-fact for James H. Ditkoff</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-07-28</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

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</SUBMISSION>
