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Retirement Benefits (Narrative) (Details)
shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands
 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Jun. 01, 2018
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2020
USD ($)
shares
Mar. 31, 2019
USD ($)
shares
Mar. 31, 2018
USD ($)
shares
Sep. 30, 2020
USD ($)
yr
shares
Sep. 30, 2019
USD ($)
shares
Sep. 30, 2018
USD ($)
shares
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Percentage of annual contribution equal to eligible prior year wages         5.00%    
Number of years of service         2 years    
Common shares issued from treasury stock for benefit plans         $ 14,748 $ 14,846 $ 14,741
Shares of woodward stock held in woodward retirement savings plan | shares         3,199 3,623  
Accrued liabilities         $ 11,230 $ 11,701  
Treasury Stock at Cost [Member]              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Common shares issued from treasury stock for benefit plans   $ 14,748 $ 14,846 $ 14,741 $ 5,328 $ 5,673 $ 7,584
Common shares issued from treasury stock for benefit plans, shares | shares   124 158 202 124 158 202
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member]              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Current portion of pension obligation         $ 1,059 $ 1,539  
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost         (346) (1,238) $ (2,499)
Projected benefit obligation         307,623 297,130 253,517
Fair value of plan assets         266,709 234,133 227,722
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Cash and Cash Equivalents              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Fair value of plan assets         1,385 2,986  
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Pooled funds: Index linked U.K. government securities fund [Member]              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Fair value of plan assets         5,767 5,491  
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Pooled funds: Index linked U.K. long-term government securities fund [Member]              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Fair value of plan assets         8,341 7,898  
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | United States [Member]              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost         $ (2,731) $ (2,825) (2,660)
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    
Convergence period         5 years 10 years  
Long term rate         0.75 0.75  
Projected benefit obligation         $ 184,077 $ 175,595 150,032
Fair value of plan assets         201,555 170,556 165,342
Accumulated benefit obligation         184,077    
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year         0    
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Foreign Plan              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Current portion of pension obligation         1,059 1,539  
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost         $ 2,385 1,587 161
Discount rate support/source data         In the United Kingdom, Germany 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 years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, 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, 2019 and 2018 benefit obligation, respectively, matched with separate cash flows for each future year    
Projected benefit obligation         $ 123,546 121,535 103,485
Fair value of plan assets         65,154 $ 63,577 62,380
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | United Kingdom              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Projected benefit obligation         59,003    
Fair value of plan assets         53,557    
Accumulated benefit obligation         58,198    
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year         689    
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Japan              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Projected benefit obligation         10,119    
Fair value of plan assets         11,597    
Accumulated benefit obligation         9,266    
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year         219    
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Germany [Member]              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Projected benefit obligation         54,424    
Fair value of plan assets         0    
Accumulated benefit obligation         54,403    
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year         $ 1,021    
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Japan And United Kingdom [Member]              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Annual improvement rate         1.5 1.5  
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Member]              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Current portion of pension obligation         $ 1,992 $ 2,048  
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost         834 1,209 778
Accumulated benefit obligation         $ 25,445 $ 26,671  
Option to elect company provided medical insurance coverage up to this age and a Medicare supplemental plan after this age | yr         65    
Age employees were eligible to participate in plan | yr         55    
Defined benefit plan, minimum years of service required for employees to be eligible for benefits         10 years    
Approximate number of retired employees and their covered dependents and beneficiaries currently providing postretirement benefits         455    
Approximate number of active employees and their covered dependants and beneficiaries who may receive postretirement benefits in the future         8    
As a result of a plan amendment, all postretirement medical benefits are fully insured for retirees who have attained this age         65    
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Member] | United States [Member]              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Discount rate support/source data         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    
Convergence period         5 years 10 years  
Long term rate         0.75 0.75  
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Member] | United Kingdom              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Discount rate support/source data         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    
Long term rate         1.5 1.5  
Woodward Retirement Savings Plan [Member] | United States [Member]              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Accumulated benefit obligation           $ 175,595  
Woodward Retirement Savings Plan [Member] | United Kingdom              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Accumulated benefit obligation           56,389  
Woodward Retirement Savings Plan [Member] | Japan              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Accumulated benefit obligation           10,081  
Woodward Retirement Savings Plan [Member] | Germany [Member]              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Accumulated benefit obligation           51,908  
Business Acquisition, Acquiree - L'Orange [Member] | Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member]              
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]              
Obligation assumed in L'Orange acquisition $ 39,257            
Current portion of pension obligation $ 1,143            
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost         $ 3,000 2,004 673
Contributions paid         $ 873 $ 782 $ 219