<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0000313616-03-000012
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20031111
<FILING-DATE>20031113
<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>MCMAHON CHRIS
<CIK>0001205257
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>001-08089
<FILM-NUMBER>03997751
</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>2003-11-11</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000313616</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>DANAHER CORP /DE/</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>DHR</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001205257</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>MCMAHON CHRIS</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>VP -- Controller</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common stock, par value $.01 per share</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-11-11</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>I</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>5337.46</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>83.70</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>0</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By 401(k) plan</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common stock, par value $.01 per share</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>12029</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding></nonDerivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">The transfer reported represents an intra-plan transfer from the Danaher stock fund included in the Danaher 401(k) plan (the &quot;Danaher Stock Fund&quot;) into other investment options within the Danaher 401(k) plan.  The Danaher Stock Fund is comprised of a unitized pool of Danaher common stock and cash, and as such does not allocate a specific number of shares of Danaher common stock to each participant.  Individual balances in the Danaher Stock Fund are accounted for on a unitized basis.  The number of securities described in Table I, Item 4 is equal to (a) the amount of the balance transferred out of the Danaher Stock Fund on the transaction date, divided by (b) the closing price of Danaher common stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on the transaction date.      </footnote><footnote id="F2">The per share price indicated represents the closing price of Danaher common stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on the transaction date.</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>James O'Reilly, attorney-in-fact for Christopher C. McMahon</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-11-13</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

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</SUBMISSION>
