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Label Element Value
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName GMO TRUST
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Jun. 30, 2016
GMO International Large/Mid Cap Equity Fund  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading GMO INTERNATIONAL LARGE/MID CAP EQUITY FUND
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock High total return.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may bear for each class of shares if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Fund operating expenses
(expenses that you bear each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination June 30, 2017
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 result in higher transaction costs and, when Fund shares are held in a taxable account, higher taxes. These transaction 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, 2016, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate (excluding short-term investments) was 88% of the average value of its portfolio. That portfolio turnover rate includes investments in U.S. Treasury Fund, which the Fund uses as a short-term investment vehicle for cash management. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate during its fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, excluding transactions in U.S. Treasury Fund, was 70% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 88.00%
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, regardless of whether or not you redeem your shares at the end of such periods. 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. The one year amounts shown reflect the expense reimbursement and waiver noted in the expense table. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal investment strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock GMO seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in a portfolio of non-U.S. developed market equities. GMO selects the securities the Fund should buy or sell based on its evaluation of companies' published financial information and corporate behavior, securities' prices, equity and bond markets, the overall global economy, and governmental policies.

In selecting securities for the Fund, GMO uses a combination of investment methods to identify securities that GMO believes have positive return potential relative to other securities in international equity markets. Some of these methods evaluate individual securities or groups of securities based on the ratio of their price to historical financial information and forecasted financial information, such as book value, cash flow and earnings, and a comparison of these ratios to industry or market averages or to their own history. Other methods focus on patterns of information, such as price movement or volatility of a security or groups of securities relative to international equity markets. GMO also uses its multi-year return forecasts for asset classes and other groups of securities in its investment process and may adjust the Fund's portfolio based on factors such as position size, market capitalization, and exposure to particular industries, sectors, countries, regions, or currencies. At times, the Fund may have substantial exposure to a single asset class, industry, sector, country, region, or currency. The factors GMO considers and investment methods GMO uses can change over time. GMO does not manage the Fund to, or control the Fund's risk relative to, any securities index or securities benchmark.

As an alternative to investing directly in equities, the Fund may invest in exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The Fund also may invest in derivatives and ETFs in an attempt to obtain or adjust elements of its long or short investment exposure, and as a substitute for securities lending. Derivatives used may include futures, options, forward currency contracts, and swap contracts. In addition, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests directly and indirectly at least 80% of its assets in equities (see "Name Policies"). In addition, under normal circumstances, the Fund invests directly and indirectly at least 80% of its assets in equities of large- and mid-cap companies (see "Name Policies"). The term "equities" refers to direct and indirect investments in common and preferred stocks and other stock-related securities, such as convertible securities, depositary receipts, and equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) and income trusts. The term "large- and mid-cap companies" means non-U.S. companies that issue stocks included in the MSCI Standard Indices and international stock indices that target approximately 85% of each market's free-float adjusted market capitalization, and companies with similar market capitalizations.

The Fund also may invest in U.S. Treasury Fund, in money market funds unaffiliated with GMO, or directly in the types of investments typically held by 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 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 – Equities – The market price of an equity may decline due to factors affecting the issuer, its industry or the economy and equity markets generally. If the Fund purchases an equity for less than its fundamental fair (or intrinsic) value as determined by GMO, the Fund runs the risk that the market price of the equity will not appreciate or will decline due to GMO’s incorrect assessment of the equity’s fundamental fair (or intrinsic) value. The Fund also may purchase equities that typically trade at higher multiples of current earnings than other securities, and the market prices of these equities often are more sensitive to changes in future earnings expectations than the market prices of equities trading at lower multiples. Declines in stock market prices generally are likely to reduce the net asset value of the Fund’s shares.

  • Management and Operational Risk – The Fund runs the risk that GMO’s investment techniques will fail to produce desired results. GMO often uses quantitative models as part of its investment process. GMO’s models are not necessarily predictive of future market events and use simplifying assumptions that can limit their effectiveness. In addition, the data on which the models are based is subject to limitations (e.g., inaccuracies, staleness) that could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. The Fund also runs the risk that GMO’s assessment of an investment (including a company’s fundamental fair (or intrinsic) value) 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.

  • 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. securities markets are less stable, smaller, less liquid, and less regulated than U.S. securities markets, and the cost of trading in those markets often is higher than in U.S. securities markets. Transactions in non-U.S. securities generally involve higher commission rates, transfer taxes, and custodial costs than similar transactions in U.S. securities. 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, interest, or other amounts it realizes or accrues in respect of non-U.S. investments; (ii) transactions in those investments; and (iii) repatriation of proceeds generated from the sale or other disposition of those investments. Also, the Fund needs a license to invest directly in many non-U.S. securities 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. securities 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. 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 may be predominantly based on only a few industries or dependent on revenues from particular commodities and which often are more volatile than the economies of developed countries.

  • Currency Risk – Fluctuations in exchange rates can adversely affect the market value of the Fund’s foreign currency holdings and investments denominated in foreign currencies.

  • Focused Investment Risk – Investments focused in countries, regions, sectors, industries, or issuers (or in sectors within a country or region) that are subject to the same or similar risk factors and investments whose prices are closely correlated are subject to greater overall risk than investments that are more diversified or whose prices are not as closely correlated.

  • Illiquidity 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 closing derivative positions at desirable prices.

  • Derivatives and Short Sales Risk – The use of derivatives involves the risk that their value may not change as expected relative to changes in the value of the underlying assets, rates, or indices. Derivatives also present other risks, including market risk, illiquidity risk, currency risk, credit risk, and counterparty risk. The market price of an option is affected by many factors, including changes in the market prices or dividend rates of underlying securities (or in the case of indices, the securities in such indices); the time remaining before expiration; changes in interest rates or exchange rates; and changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the relevant stock market and underlying securities. The Fund may create short investment exposure by taking a derivative position in which the value of the derivative moves in the opposite direction from the price of an underlying investment, pool of investments, index or currency. The risks of loss associated with derivatives that provide short investment exposure and short sales of securities are theoretically unlimited.

  • Counterparty Risk – The Fund runs the risk that the counterparty to a derivatives contract, a clearing member used by the Fund to hold a cleared derivatives contract, or a borrower of the Fund’s securities will be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments, return the Fund’s margin or otherwise honor its obligations.

  • Leveraging Risk – The use of reverse repurchase agreements and other derivatives and securities lending creates leverage. Leverage increases the Fund’s losses when the value of its investments (including derivatives) declines.

  • 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 require the Fund to sell securities at disadvantageous prices or otherwise disrupt the Fund’s operations.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney Many factors can affect this value, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
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. 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-advantaged arrangements (such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account). After-tax returns are shown for Class III shares only; after-tax returns for other classes will vary. Updated performance information for the Fund is available at www.gmo.com. 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 Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress www.gmo.com
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 Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock Highest Quarter: 22.30% (2Q2009)
Lowest Quarter: – 19.92% (3Q2008)
Year-to-Date (as of 3/31/16): – 2.15%
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Average Annual Total Returns
Periods Ending December 31, 2015
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-advantaged arrangements (such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account).
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text] rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown After-tax returns are shown for Class III shares only; after-tax returns for other classes will vary.
GMO International Large/Mid Cap Equity Fund | Class III  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.38% [1]
Shareholder service fee rr_DistributionOrSimilarNon12b1FeesOverAssets 0.15% [1]
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.07%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.60%
Expense reimbursement/waiver rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.07%) [1]
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.53% [2]
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 54
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 185
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 328
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 743
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 54
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 185
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 328
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 $ 743
2006 rr_AnnualReturn2006 24.78% [3]
2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 11.01% [3]
2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (40.05%) [3]
2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 21.06% [3]
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 10.29% [3]
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 (9.08%) [3]
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 15.84% [3]
2013 rr_AnnualReturn2013 25.06% [3]
2014 rr_AnnualReturn2014 (7.11%) [3]
2015 rr_AnnualReturn2015 (5.82%) [3]
Year to Date Return, Label rr_YearToDateReturnLabel Year-to-Date
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate Mar. 31, 2016
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn (2.15%) [3]
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Highest Quarter:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 22.30% [3]
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Lowest Quarter:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (19.92%) [3]
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (5.82%) [3]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.88% [3]
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 2.48% [3]
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 6.54% [3]
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jan. 29, 2002 [3]
GMO International Large/Mid Cap Equity Fund | Class IV  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.38% [1]
Shareholder service fee rr_DistributionOrSimilarNon12b1FeesOverAssets 0.09% [1]
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.07%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.54%
Expense reimbursement/waiver rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.07%) [1]
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.47% [2]
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 48
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 166
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 295
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 670
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 48
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 166
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 295
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 $ 670
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (5.77%) [3]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.94% [3]
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 2.55% [3]
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 6.61% [3]
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jun. 30, 2003 [3]
GMO International Large/Mid Cap Equity Fund | Class VI  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.38% [1]
Shareholder service fee rr_DistributionOrSimilarNon12b1FeesOverAssets 0.055% [1]
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.07%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.51%
Expense reimbursement/waiver rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.07%) [1]
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.44% [2]
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 45
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 156
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 278
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 634
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 45
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 156
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 278
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 $ 634
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (5.74%) [3]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.97% [3]
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 [3]
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 1.80% [3]
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Mar. 28, 2006 [3]
GMO International Large/Mid Cap Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | Class III  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (6.31%) [3]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 1.91% [3]
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 1.59% [3]
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 5.70% [3]
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jan. 29, 2002 [3]
GMO International Large/Mid Cap Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | Class III  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (2.54%) [3]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.56% [3]
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 2.23% [3]
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 5.60% [3]
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jan. 29, 2002 [3]
GMO International Large/Mid Cap Equity Fund | MSCI EAFE Index (returns reflect no deduction for fees or expenses, but are net of withholding tax on dividend reinvestments) | Class III  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.81%) [3]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.60% [3]
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.03% [3]
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 6.03% [3]
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jan. 29, 2002 [3]
GMO International Large/Mid Cap Equity Fund | MSCI EAFE Index (returns reflect no deduction for fees or expenses, but are net of withholding tax on dividend reinvestments) | Class IV  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.81%) [3]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.60% [3]
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.03% [3]
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 7.00% [3]
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jun. 30, 2003 [3]
GMO International Large/Mid Cap Equity Fund | MSCI EAFE Index (returns reflect no deduction for fees or expenses, but are net of withholding tax on dividend reinvestments) | Class VI  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.81%) [3]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.60% [3]
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 [3]
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 2.24% [3]
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Mar. 28, 2006 [3]
[1] Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC ("GMO") has contractually agreed to reimburse the Fund for the following expenses: audit expenses, fund accounting expenses, pricing service expenses, expenses of non-investment related tax services, transfer agency expenses, expenses of non-investment related legal services provided to the Fund by or at the direction of GMO, federal securities law filing expenses, printing expenses, state and federal registration fees and custody expenses. GMO also has contractually agreed to waive or reduce the Fund's management fees and shareholder service fees to the extent necessary to offset the management fees and shareholder service fees paid to GMO that are directly or indirectly borne by the Fund or a class of shares of the Fund as a result of the Fund's direct or indirect investments in other series of GMO Trust ("GMO Funds"). Management fees and shareholder service fees will not be waived below zero. This reimbursement and waiver will continue through at least June 30, 2017, and may not be terminated prior to this date without the action or consent of the Fund's Board of Trustees.
[2] after expense reimbursement/waiver
[3] The Fund is the successor to GMO International Disciplined Equity Fund, a former series of GMO Trust that had an investment objective and investment policies and restrictions substantially identical to those of the Fund. Performance of the Fund through September 16, 2005 is that of GMO International Disciplined Equity Fund and reflects GMO International Disciplined Equity Fund's annual operating expenses (0.02% higher than those of the Fund).