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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName GMO TRUST
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Jun. 30, 2012
GMO Trust | GMO Taiwan Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading GMO TAIWAN FUND
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock Total return in excess of that of its benchmark, the MSCI Taiwan Index.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock The tables below describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination June 30, 2013
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During its fiscal year ended February 29, 2012, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate (excluding short-term investments) was 105% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 105.00%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same as those shown in the table. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example by, Year, Caption [Text] rr_ExpenseExampleByYearCaption If you sell your shares
Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text] rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption If you do not sell your shares
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal investment strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock The Fund typically makes equity investments directly and indirectly (e.g., through underlying funds or derivatives) in companies doing business in or otherwise tied economically to Taiwan. The Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization. The term “equity investments” refers to direct and indirect investments in common stocks and other stock-related securities, such as preferred stocks, convertible securities, depositary receipts, and exchange-traded equity REITs and income trusts. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests directly and indirectly at least 80% of its assets in investments tied economically to Taiwan (see “Name Policies”).

The Manager uses proprietary quantitative techniques and fundamental analysis to evaluate and select sectors and equity investments based on factors including, but not limited to, valuation and patterns of price movement or price volatility, the Manager’s assessment of a sector’s fundamentals as well as a company’s positioning relative to its competitors.

The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in securities of issuers in industries with high positive correlations to one another (e.g., different industries within broad sectors, such as technology or financial services).

As a substitute for direct investments in equities, the Manager may use exchange-traded and over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). The Manager also may use derivatives and ETFs: (i) in an attempt to reduce investment exposures (which may result in a reduction below zero); (ii) in an attempt to adjust elements of the Fund’s investment exposure; and (iii) as a substitute for securities lending. Derivatives used may include options, futures, warrants, swap contracts, and reverse repurchase agreements. The Fund’s non-U.S. currency exposure may differ from the currency exposure represented by its equity investments.

In addition, the Fund may take active overweighted and underweighted positions in particular currencies relative to its benchmark. In addition, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities.

For cash management purposes, the Fund may invest in U.S. Treasury Fund and unaffiliated money market funds.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal risks of investing in the Fund
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock The value of the Fund’s shares changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors can affect this value, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is a non-diversified investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and therefore a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect the Fund’s performance more than if the Fund were a diversified investment company. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. For a more complete discussion of these risks, see “Description of Principal Risks.”
  • Market Risk – Equity Securities – The market price of equity investments may decline due to factors affecting the issuing companies, their industries, or the economy and equity markets generally. Because the Fund normally does not take temporary defensive positions, declines in stock market prices generally are likely to reduce the net asset value of the Fund’s shares.
  • Non-U.S. Investment Risk – The market prices of many non-U.S. securities fluctuate more than those of U.S. securities. Many non-U.S. markets are less stable, smaller, less liquid, and less regulated than U.S. markets, and the cost of trading in those markets often is higher than in U.S. markets. Non-U.S. portfolio transactions generally involve higher commission rates, transfer taxes, and custodial costs than similar transactions in the U.S. In addition, the Fund may be subject to non-U.S. taxes, including potentially on a retroactive basis, on (i) capital gains it realizes or dividends or interest it receives on non-U.S. securities, (ii) transactions in those securities and (iii) the repatriation of proceeds generated from the sale of those securities. Also, many non-U.S. markets require a license for the Fund to invest directly in those markets, and the Fund is subject to the risk that it could not invest if its license were terminated or suspended. In some non-U.S. markets, prevailing custody and trade settlement practices (e.g., the requirement to pay for securities prior to receipt) expose the Fund to credit and other risks with respect to participating brokers, custodians, clearing banks or other clearing agents, escrow agents and issuers. Further, adverse changes in investment regulations, capital requirements or exchange controls could adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments. These and other risks (e.g., nationalization, expropriation or other confiscation of assets of non-U.S. issuers) tend to be greater for investments in companies tied economically to emerging countries, the economies of which tend to be more volatile than the economies of developed countries. Certain characteristics of Taiwan’s economy and geographic location also subject the Fund to risks. For example, Taiwan is a small island state with few raw material resources and limited land area and thus it relies heavily on imports for its commodity needs. Any fluctuations or shortages in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on the Taiwanese economy. Also, rising labor costs and increasing environmental consciousness have led some labor-intensive industries to relocate to countries with cheaper work forces, and continued labor outsourcing may adversely affect the Taiwanese economy. Taiwan’s economy also is intricately linked with economies of Asian countries that have experienced over-extensions of credit, frequent and pronounced currency fluctuations, currency devaluations and restrictions, currency repatriation, rising unemployment and fluctuations in inflation. Currency devaluations in any one country can have a significant effect on the entire region. Political and social unrest in Asian countries could cause further economic and market uncertainty in Taiwan. In particular, the Taiwanese economy is dependent on the economies of Japan and China, and also the United States, and a reduction in purchases by any of them of Taiwanese products and services or negative changes in their economies would likely have an adverse impact on the Taiwanese economy. Taiwan’s geographic proximity to the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan’s history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions with China, including the risk of war with China. These tensions may materially affect the Taiwanese economy and securities markets. All of these risks could reduce the value of an investment in Taiwan Fund.
  • Currency Risk – Fluctuations in exchange rates can adversely affect the market value of the Fund’s non-U.S. currency holdings and investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies.
  • Focused Investment Risk – Focusing investments in countries, regions, sectors, or companies with high positive correlations to one another, such as the Fund’s investments tied economically to Taiwan, creates more risk than if the Fund’s investments were less correlated.
  • Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risk – Geopolitical and other events may disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. Those events, as well as other changes in non-U.S. and U.S. economic and political conditions, could adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments.
  • Large Shareholder Risk – To the extent that a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder (e.g., an institutional investor or another GMO Fund) or a group of shareholders with a common investment strategy (e.g., GMO asset allocation accounts), the Fund is subject to the risk that a redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their Fund shares will disrupt the Fund’s operations.
  • Management and Operational Risk – The Fund runs the risk that GMO’s investment techniques will fail to produce desired results. The Fund’s portfolio managers may use quantitative analyses and models, and any imperfections or limitations in those analyses and models could affect the ability of the portfolio managers to implement the strategies they wish to pursue. By necessity, these analyses and models make simplifying assumptions that limit their efficacy. Models that appear to explain prior market data can fail to predict future market events. Further, the data used in models may be inaccurate and may not include the most recent information about a company or a security. The Fund also runs the risk that GMO’s fundamental assessment of an investment may be wrong or that deficiencies in GMO’s or another service provider’s internal systems or controls will cause losses for the Fund or impair Fund operations.
  • Liquidity Risk – Low trading volume, lack of a market maker, large position size, or legal restrictions may limit or prevent the Fund from selling particular securities or unwinding derivative positions at desirable prices.
  • Smaller Company Risk – Smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources, may lack the competitive strength of larger companies, or may lack managers with experience or depend on a few key employees. The securities of small- and mid-cap companies often are less widely held and trade less frequently and in lesser quantities, and their market prices often fluctuate more, than the securities of companies with larger market capitalizations.
  • Counterparty Risk – The Fund runs the risk that the counterparty to an OTC derivatives contract or a borrower of the Fund’s securities will be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments or otherwise honor its obligations.
  • Derivatives Risk – The use of derivatives involves the risk that their value may not move as expected relative to the value of the relevant underlying assets, rates, or indices. Derivatives also present other risks, including market risk, liquidity risk, currency risk and counterparty risk.
  • Leveraging Risk – The use of reverse repurchase agreements and other derivatives and securities lending creates leverage. Leverage increases the magnitude of the Fund’s losses when the value of its investments (including derivatives) declines.
  • Fund of Funds Risk – The Fund is indirectly exposed to all of the risks of an investment in the underlying funds in which it invests, including the risk that those funds will not perform as expected.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney Many factors can affect this value, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Risk Nondiversified Status [Text] rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus The Fund is a non-diversified investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and therefore a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect the Fund’s performance more than if the Fund were a diversified investment company.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s annual total returns from year to year for the periods indicated and by comparing the Fund’s average annual total returns for different calendar periods with those of a broad-based index. Purchase premiums and redemption fees are not reflected in the bar chart, but are reflected in the table; as a result, the returns in the table are lower than the returns in the bar chart. Returns in the table reflect current purchase premiums and redemption fees. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant if you are tax-exempt or if you hold your Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements (such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account). Past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future performance.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s annual total returns from year to year for the periods indicated and by comparing the Fund’s average annual total returns for different calendar periods with those of a broad-based index.
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture Past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future performance.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Annual Total Returns/Class III Shares
Years Ending December 31
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text] rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads Purchase premiums and redemption fees are not reflected in the bar chart, but are reflected in the table; as a result, the returns in the table are lower than the returns in the bar chart.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock Highest Quarter: 22.85% (3Q2010)
Lowest Quarter: –23.74% (4Q2008)
Year-to-Date (as of 3/31/12): 12.24%
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Average Annual Total Returns
Periods Ending December 31, 2011
Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads Returns in the table reflect current purchase premiums and redemption fees.
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant if you are tax-exempt or if you hold your Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements (such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account).
GMO Trust | GMO Taiwan Fund | Class III
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Purchase premium (as a percentage of amount invested) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice 0.15%
Redemption fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed) rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption 0.45%
Management fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.81% [1]
Shareholder service fee rr_DistributionOrSimilarNon12b1FeesOverAssets 0.15% [1]
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.40%
Acquired fund fees and expenses (underlying fund expenses) rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets 0.01% [2]
Total annual operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.37% [3]
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 201 [4]
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 498
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 818
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,723
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 154 [4]
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 448
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 764
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 1,659
2003 rr_AnnualReturn2003 28.84%
2004 rr_AnnualReturn2004 10.24%
2005 rr_AnnualReturn2005 11.89%
2006 rr_AnnualReturn2006 20.41%
2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 3.95%
2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (44.22%)
2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 73.06%
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 24.84%
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 (13.45%)
Year to Date Return, Label rr_YearToDateReturnLabel Year-to-Date
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate Mar. 31, 2012
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn 12.24%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Highest Quarter:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2010
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 22.85%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Lowest Quarter:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (23.74%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (13.97%)
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 1.51%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10   
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 8.16%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Oct. 04, 2002
GMO Trust | After Taxes on Distributions | GMO Taiwan Fund | Class III
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (14.97%) [5]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 (0.20%) [5]
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10    [5]
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 6.80% [5]
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Oct. 04, 2002 [5]
GMO Trust | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | GMO Taiwan Fund | Class III
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (7.44%) [5]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 1.13% [5]
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10    [5]
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 7.00% [5]
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Oct. 04, 2002 [5]
GMO Trust | MSCI Taiwan Index (returns reflect no deduction for fees or expenses, but are net of withholding tax on dividend reinvestments) | GMO Taiwan Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (20.89%)
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 0.05%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10   
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 8.86%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Oct. 04, 2002
[1] Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC (the "Manager" or "GMO") has agreed to waive and/or reduce the Fund's management fees and shareholder service fees to the extent necessary to offset the management fees and shareholder service fees directly or indirectly paid to the Manager as a result of the Fund's direct or indirect investments in other GMO Funds. Management fees and shareholder service fees will not be waived below zero. These waivers will continue through at least June 30, 2013, and may not be terminated prior to this date without the action or consent of the Fund's Board of Trustees.
[2] These indirect expenses include commission fees ("transaction fees") charged by certain underlying funds. Net fees and expenses of underlying funds (before addition of transaction fees) and indirect transaction fees were less than 0.01% and 0.01%, respectively.
[3] Total annual fund operating expenses (Fund and underlying fund expenses)
[4] After reimbursement
[5] For periods prior to the public offering of the Fund's shares, which began on October 29, 2009, the Fund's after-tax returns reflect dividends that included certain non-deductible investment expenses.