Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Income Tax [Line Items]
Income tax payments	$ 25,300	$ 51,600	$ 41,600
Provision for income taxes	$ 18,003	$ 25,004	$ 40,678
Effective income tax rate	(108.10%)	21.30%	44.30%
Statutory US federal income tax rate	35.00%
Benefit claimed for foreign tax and other credits	$ 144	$ 6,869
Income tax benefit recognized for domestic manufacturing deduction, amount	767	5,722
Tax rate changes	(447)	(2,146)
Valuation allowance increase		100
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance	6,573	6,510
Tax credit carried forwards resulting in deferred tax asset	3,500	5,100
Valuation allowance related to tax credit carryforwards	$ 3,200	5,100
Tax credit carryforward description	Expire in years 2017 through 2018
Undistributed earnings foreign subsidiaries	$ 99,500	91,700	$ 59,800
Uncertain tax benefits	13,220	21,101	21,821	$ 16,044
Uncertain tax benefits, affect effective tax rate	11,500
Interest and penalty expense related to uncertain tax positions	(400)	(600)	$ 200
Accrued interest and penalties	700	1,200
Claims related to income apportionment with certain state taxing jurisdictions	6,500
Reduction in tax refund claim	9,000
Outstanding uncertain tax benefits that might or might not be settled	6,500
Unrecognized tax benefits reasonably possible to be decrease next year	6,500
Unrecognized tax benefits reasonably possible to be recognized next year	$ 3,000
Examination of income tax returns, description	CEB US is currently under audit by the Internal Revenue Service for tax years 2011 to 2013. The Company expects to complete the audit during 2017 without any material adjustments.
UNITED KINGDOM [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Tax rate changes	$ 2,100
US [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
US Federal net operating loss carry forwards	$ 5,000
Capital loss carryforward under current local tax laws expiration year	2021
US Federal net capital loss carry forwards	$ 1,000
US [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Operating loss carryforward under current local tax laws expiration beginning year	2024
US [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Operating loss carryforward under current local tax laws expiration beginning year	2035
Foreign Country [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Operating loss carryforward under current local tax laws expiration beginning year	2024
Net operating losses available for carryforward under UK tax law	$ 1,300
Indefinite operating loss carryforwards under current local tax laws	1,000
Operating loss carryforward under current local tax laws, set to expire from 2030	300
Foreign Country [Member] | UNITED KINGDOM [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
US Federal net operating loss carry forwards	4,900
US Federal net capital loss carry forwards	4,600
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance	900
State [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
US Federal net operating loss carry forwards	14,700
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance	$ 300
State [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Operating loss carryforward under current local tax laws expiration beginning year	2024
State [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Operating loss carryforward under current local tax laws expiration beginning year	2035
Amending 2012-2013 Tax Returns [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Benefit claimed for foreign tax and other credits		4,300
Prior year income taxes, amount		2,000
Income tax benefit recognized for foreign tax, amount		2,300
Amendment to 2011-2014 Tax Returns [Member] | US [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Prior year income taxes, amount		4,600
Benefit claimed for domestic manufacturing deduction		5,700
Income tax benefit recognized for domestic manufacturing deduction, amount		1,200
Amendment to 2011-2014 Tax Returns [Member] | US [Member] | Research Tax Credit [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Prior year income taxes, amount		1,700
Income tax benefit recognized for domestic manufacturing deduction, amount		2,100
Income tax benefit recognized for research tax, amount		$ 400
2017 [Member] | UNITED KINGDOM [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Change in enacted tax rate, percentage	19.00%
2020 [Member] | UNITED KINGDOM [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Change in enacted tax rate, percentage	18.00%
Earliest Tax Year [Member] | US [Member] | Internal Revenue Service [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Tax year	2011
Latest Tax Year [Member] | US [Member] | Internal Revenue Service [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Tax year	2013