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Retirement Benefits (Narrative) (Details) shares in Thousands	3 Months Ended				12 Months Ended				24 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) shares	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) shares	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($) shares	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) shares
Value of Company Stock Contributed to Defined Contribution Benefit Plans		$ 13,999,000	$ 12,574,000	$ 11,193,000
Treasury Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Employee Benefit Plans | shares		317	259	260
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Projected benefit obligation	$ 232,949,000					$ 232,949,000	$ 208,101,000	$ 201,275,000	$ 208,101,000
Fair value of plan assets	208,812,000					208,812,000	196,253,000	205,161,000	196,253,000
Benefits paid						12,445,000	6,502,000
Settlement loss						47,000	0	0
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost						(1,513,000)	(1,824,000)	(6,048,000)
United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit, Lump Sum Buyout Benefits Paid, Current Year	5,008,000
Projected benefit obligation	160,892,000					160,892,000	145,870,000	137,740,000	145,870,000
Fair value of plan assets	145,886,000					145,886,000	135,590,000	142,090,000	135,590,000
Benefits paid						9,789,000	4,078,000
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year						$ 0
Discount rate support/source data						In the United States, Woodward uses a bond portfolio matching analysis based on recently traded, non-callable bonds rated AA or better that have at least $50 million outstanding to determine the benefit obligations at year end.
Accumulated benefit obligation	160,892,000					$ 160,892,000	145,870,000		145,870,000
Settlement loss						47,000	0	0
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost						(1,486,000)	(1,894,000)	$ (6,112,000)
Duarte Plan, Defined Benefit [Member]
Settlement loss						47,000
Current defined benefit pension plan liability	0					0
United Kingdom Plan, Defined Benefit [Member]
Projected benefit obligation	59,896,000					59,896,000
Fair value of plan assets	50,914,000					50,914,000
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year						425,000
Japan Plan, Defined Benefit [Member]
Projected benefit obligation	12,161,000					12,161,000
Fair value of plan assets	12,012,000					12,012,000
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year						288,000
Switzerland Plan, Defined Benefit [Member]
Discount rate support/source data								In Switzerland, Woodward used high quality swap rates plus a credit spread of 0.20% in fiscal year 2013 as high quality swaps are available in Switzerland at various durations and trade at higher volumes than bonds
Foreign Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Projected benefit obligation	72,057,000					72,057,000	62,231,000	$ 63,535,000	62,231,000
Fair value of plan assets	62,926,000					62,926,000	60,663,000	63,071,000	$ 60,663,000
Benefits paid						$ 2,656,000	2,424,000
Discount rate support/source data						In the United Kingdom and Japan, Woodward uses a high-quality corporate bond yield curve matched with separate cash flows to develop a single rate to determine the single rate equivalent to settle the entire benefit obligations in each jurisdiction. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the discount rate used to determine periodic service cost and interest cost components of the overall benefit costs was based on spot rates derived from the same high-quality corporate bond yield curve used to determine the September 30, 2015 benefit obligation matched with separate cash flows for each future year.			In the United Kingdom and Japan, Woodward uses a high-quality corporate bond yield curve matched with separate cash flows to develop a single rate to determine the single rate equivalent to settle the entire benefit obligations in each jurisdiction.
Accumulated benefit obligation	68,801,000					$ 68,801,000	59,742,000		$ 59,742,000
Settlement loss						0	0	0
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost						(27,000)	70,000	64,000
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Projected benefit obligation	35,630,000					35,630,000	34,927,000	29,225,000	34,927,000
Fair value of plan assets	0					0	0	0	0
Benefits paid						3,503,000	3,848,000
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year						4,039,000
Accumulated benefit obligation	$ 35,630,000					$ 35,630,000	34,927,000		$ 34,927,000
Option to elect company provided medical insurance coverage up to this age and a Medicare supplemental plan after this age	65					65
Approximate number of current employees who may receive future benefits	20					20
Approximate number of retired employees eligible to receive or currently receiving benefits	800					800
Age employees were eligible to participate in plan	55					55
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost						$ 1,068,000	1,032,000	1,121,000
United Kingdom, Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Projected benefit obligation	$ 467,000					467,000
Benefits paid						$ 14,000
Discount rate support/source data						In the United Kingdom, Woodward uses a high-quality corporate bond yield curve matched with separate cash flows to develop a single rate to determine the single rate equivalent to settle the entire benefit obligations in each jurisdiction. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, the discount rate used to determine periodic service cost and interest cost components of the overall benefit costs was based on spot rates derived from the same high-quality corporate bond yield curve used to determine the September 30, 2015 benefit obligation matched with separate cash flows for each future year.			In the United Kingdom, Woodward uses a high-quality corporate bond yield curve matched with separate cash flows to develop a single rate to determine the single rate equivalent to settle the entire benefit obligations in each jurisdiction.
United States Postretirement Benefit Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member]
Discount rate support/source data						In the United States, Woodward used a bond portfolio matching analysis based on recently traded, non-callable bonds rated AA or better that have at least $50 million outstanding to determine the benefit obligations at year end.
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	6,904,000					$ 6,904,000	668,000		$ 668,000
Pooled funds: Index linked U.K. government securities fund [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	5,009,000					5,009,000	4,716,000		4,716,000
Pooled funds: Index linked U.K. long-term government securities fund [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	11,998,000					11,998,000	10,583,000		10,583,000
Mutual funds: U.S. corporate bond fund [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	56,813,000					56,813,000	56,210,000		56,210,000
Pooled funds: Index linked U.K. corporate bonds fund [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	16,180,000					16,180,000	16,613,000		16,613,000
Pooled funds: Japanese fixed income securities [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	5,321,000					5,321,000	4,805,000		4,805,000
Pooled funds: International fixed income securities [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	1,777,000					1,777,000	1,624,000		1,624,000
Mutual funds: U.S. equity large cap fund [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	48,506,000					48,506,000	47,517,000		47,517,000
Mutual funds: International equity large cap growth fund [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	33,834,000					33,834,000	31,396,000		31,396,000
Pooled funds: Japanese equity securities [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	2,536,000					2,536,000	2,116,000		2,116,000
Pooled funds: International equity securities [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	2,258,000					2,258,000	1,982,000		1,982,000
Pooled funds: Index linked U.K. equity fund [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	7,982,000					7,982,000	8,687,000		8,687,000
Pooled funds: Index linked international equity fund [Member] | Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	$ 9,694,000					$ 9,694,000	$ 9,336,000		$ 9,336,000
Woodward Retirement Savings Plan [Member]
Shares of Woodward stock held in Woodward Retirement Savings Plan | shares	4,488					4,488	4,887		4,887
Accrued Employee Benefits, Current	$ 11,314,000					$ 11,314,000	$ 11,342,000		$ 11,342,000
Scenario, Forecast [Member] | United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit, Lump Sum Buyout Benefits Paid, Expected					$ 700,000
Total stockholders equity
Value of Company Stock Contributed to Defined Contribution Benefit Plans						13,999,000	12,574,000	11,193,000
Treasury Stock at Cost [Member]
Value of Company Stock Contributed to Defined Contribution Benefit Plans						$ 8,680,000	$ 8,084,000	$ 8,356,000
Treasury Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Employee Benefit Plans | shares						317	259	260

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Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations, excluding pension and other postretirement benefits, incurred through that date and payable for perquisites provided to employees pertaining to services received from them. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

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For defined benefit pension plans, the actuarial present value of benefits (whether vested or nonvested) attributed by the pension benefit formula to employee service rendered before a specified date and based on employee service and compensation (if applicable) before that date. The accumulated benefit obligation differs from the projected benefit obligation in that it includes no assumption about future compensation levels. For plans with flat-benefit or nonpay-related pension benefit formulas, the accumulated benefit obligation and the projected benefit obligation are the same.

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1) For defined benefit pension plans, the benefit obligation is the projected benefit obligation, which is the actuarial present value as of a date of all benefits attributed by the pension benefit formula to employee service rendered prior to that date. 2) For other postretirement defined benefit plans, the benefit obligation is the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation, which is the actuarial present value of benefits attributed to employee service rendered to a particular date.

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The amount of payments made for which participants are entitled under a pension plan, including pension benefits, death benefits, and benefits due on termination of employment. Also includes payments made under a postretirement benefit plan, including prescription drug benefits, health care benefits, life insurance benefits, and legal, educational and advisory services. This item represents a periodic decrease to the plan obligations and a decrease to plan assets.

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Fair value of assets that have been segregated and restricted to provide pension or postretirement benefits. Assets include, but are not limited to, stocks, bonds, other investments, earnings from investments, and contributions by the employer and employees.

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The total amount of net periodic benefit cost for defined benefit plans for the period. Periodic benefit costs include the following components: service cost, interest cost, expected return on plan assets, gain (loss), prior service cost or credit, transition asset or obligation, and gain (loss) due to settlements or curtailments.

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Amount of net gain (loss) recognized in net periodic benefit cost as a result of an irrevocable action that relieves the employer (or the plan) of primary responsibility for a benefit obligation and eliminates significant risks related to the obligation and the assets used to effect the settlement. Examples of transactions that constitute a settlement include, but are not limited to, lump-sum cash payments to plan participants in exchange for their rights to receive specified benefits and purchasing nonparticipating annuity contracts to cover vested benefits.

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Amount of employer's best estimate of contributions expected to be paid to the plan during the next fiscal year beginning after the date of the latest statement of financial position.

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Sum of the allocated, committed-to-be-released and suspense shares of the entity held by the plan.

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Number of shares issued during the period to an employee benefit plan, such as a defined contribution or defined benefit plan.

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Value of shares issued during the period to an employee benefit plan, such as a defined contribution or defined benefit plan.

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During the third quarter of fiscal year 2016, Woodward opened a lump-sum buy-out window for certain former U.S. employees and/or their dependents eligible to receive postretirement defined benefit pension payments for past employment services to the Company. Eligible pension plan participants may elect to receive a one-time lump-sum payment or an immediate annuity in lieu of future pension benefit payments. Amount represents the pension benefit payments under the lump-sum buy-out options during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2016.

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During the third quarter of fiscal year 2016, Woodward opened a lump-sum buy-out window for certain former U.S. employees and/or their dependents eligible to receive postretirement defined benefit pension payments for past employment services to the Company. Eligible pension plan participants may elect to receive a one-time lump-sum payment or an immediate annuity in lieu of future pension benefit payments. Amount represents the estimated pension benefit payments under the lump-sum buy-out options expected to be paid in 2017.

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Employees who had attained this age and had rendered the required years of service before the plans were frozen are eligible for benefits.

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The number of active employees that the plan may provide benefits for in the future.

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The number of retired employees that are eligible to receive future benefits or are currently receiving benefits.

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- Definition

Benefit in defined benefit plan that provides the option to elect company provided medical insurance coverage to this age and a Medicare supplemental plan after this age.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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