Retirement Benefits (Narrative) (Details) shares in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) shares	Jun. 01, 2018 USD ($)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Value of Company Stock Contributed to Defined Contribution Benefit Plans	$ 14,741,000	$ 14,014,000	$ 13,999,000
Treasury Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Employee Benefit Plans | shares	202	199	317
Total stockholders equity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Value of Company Stock Contributed to Defined Contribution Benefit Plans	$ 14,741,000	$ 14,014,000
Treasury Stock at Cost [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Value of Company Stock Contributed to Defined Contribution Benefit Plans	$ 7,584,000	$ 7,513,000
Treasury Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Employee Benefit Plans | shares	202	199
Woodward Retirement Savings Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Shares of Woodward stock held in Woodward Retirement Savings Plan | shares	3,955	4,183
Accrued Employee Benefits, Current	$ 11,475,000	$ 11,355,000
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension obligation assumed in L'Orange aquisition	39,257,000
Current portion of pension obligation	1,322,000	3,000
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost	(2,499,000)	(610,000)	$ (1,513,000)
Settlement loss			47,000
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Business Acquisition, Acquiree - L'Orange [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension obligation assumed in L'Orange aquisition	39,257,000
Current portion of pension obligation				$ 1,143,000
Contributions paid - pensions	219,000
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost	673,000
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current portion of pension obligation	2,249,000	2,410,000
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost	778,000	1,301,000	1,068,000
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year	3,615,000
Accumulated benefit obligation	$ 27,985,000	32,252,000
Option to elect company provided medical insurance coverage up to this age and a Medicare supplemental plan after this age	65
Approximate number of current employees who may receive future benefits	9
Approximate number of retired employees eligible to receive or currently receiving benefits	740
Age employees were eligible to participate in plan	55
UNITED STATES | Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost	$ (2,660,000)	(860,000)	(1,486,000)
Settlement loss			47,000
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year	$ 0
Discount rate support/source data	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	$ 150,032,000	161,130,000
UNITED STATES | Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [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
Duarte Plan, Defined Benefit [Member] | Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit, Lump Sum Buyout Benefits Paid, Current Year		670,000
Defined Benefit, Lump Sum Buyout Benefits Paid, Expected	$ 0
Foreign Plan [Member] | Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension obligation assumed in L'Orange aquisition	39,257,000
Current portion of pension obligation	1,322,000	3,000
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost	$ 161,000	250,000	$ (27,000)
Discount rate support/source data	201820172016Germany:Weighted-average assumptions to determine benefit obligation at September 30:Discount rate 1.87 n/an/aRate of compensation increase 2.50 n/an/aWeighted-average assumptions to determine periodic benefit costs for years ended September 30:Discount rate - service cost 2.05 n/an/aDiscount rate - interest cost 1.49 n/an/aRate of compensation increase 2.50 n/an/aIn 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, 2018 and 2017, 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, 2017 and 2016 benefit obligation, respectively, matched with separate cash flows for each future year.
JAPAN | Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year	$ 224,000
Accumulated benefit obligation	9,795,000	10,007,000
UNITED KINGDOM | Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year	688,000
Accumulated benefit obligation	$ 50,594,000	$ 53,628,000
UNITED KINGDOM | Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Member]
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
GERMANY | Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year	$ 907,000
Accumulated benefit obligation	$ 40,358,000