Estimated Future Benefits Payments for Retirement Plans (Detail) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Pension Plans [Member]
Schedule Of Other Retirement Benefits Expected Benefit Payments [Line Items]
2018	$ 12.2
2019	13.0
2020	41.4
2021	17.8
2022	19.5
2023 - 2027	135.7
Other Retirement Plans [Member]
Schedule Of Other Retirement Benefits Expected Benefit Payments [Line Items]
2018	1.0
2019	1.1
2020	1.2
2021	1.3
2022	1.4
2023 - 2027	$ 10.2

Schedule of Other Retirement Benefits Expected Benefit Payments [Line Items]

No definition available.

Name:	mco_ScheduleOfOtherRetirementBenefitsExpectedBenefitPaymentsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	mco_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of benefits for defined benefit plan expected to be paid in five fiscal years after fifth fiscal year following latest fiscal year.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsFiveFiscalYearsThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefits for defined benefit plan expected to be paid in next fiscal year following latest fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsNextTwelveMonths
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefits for defined benefit plan expected to be paid in fifth fiscal year following latest fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearFive
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefits for defined benefit plan expected to be paid in fourth fiscal year following latest fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearFour
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefits for defined benefit plan expected to be paid in third fiscal year following latest fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearThree
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefits for defined benefit plan expected to be paid in second fiscal year following latest fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearTwo
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanTypeAxis=us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanTypeAxis=us-gaap_OtherPostretirementBenefitPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: