Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 2,408,100	$ 1,862,716	$ 2,131,278
Cost of sales	(1,553,738)	(1,199,427)	(1,337,773)
Gross profit	854,362	663,289	793,505
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(426,335)	(366,188)	(417,329)
Research and development expenses	(124,660)	(107,296)	(94,360)
Amortization of intangibles	(38,346)	(64,395)	(74,609)
Goodwill and other asset impairment	(140,461)	0	0
Operating income	124,560	125,410	207,207
Interest expense, net	(62,695)	(58,888)	(55,814)
Non-operating pension benefit (cost)	4,476	(395)	1,017
Gain on sale of note receivable	27,036	0	0
Loss on debt extinguishment	(5,715)	0	0
Income from continuing operations before taxes	87,662	66,127	152,410
Income tax expense	(25,205)	(11,724)	(42,519)
Income from continuing operations	62,457	54,403	109,891
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	(99,513)	(486,667)
Gain (loss) from disposal of discontinued operations, net of tax	1,860	(9,948)	0
Net income (loss)	64,317	(55,058)	(376,776)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	392	104	239
Net income (loss) attributable to Belden	63,925	(55,162)	(377,015)
Less: Preferred stock dividends	0	0	18,437
Net income (loss) attributable to Belden common stockholders	$ 63,925	$ (55,162)	$ (395,452)
Weighted average number of common shares and equivalents:
Basic (in shares)	44,802	44,778	42,203
Diluted (in shares)	45,361	44,937	42,416
Basic income (loss) per share attributable to Belden common stockholders:
Continuing operations attributable to Belden common stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.39	$ 1.21	$ 2.16
Discontinued operations attributable to Belden common stockholders (in dollars per share)	0	(2.22)	(11.53)
Disposal of discontinued operations attributable to Belden common stockholders (in dollars per share)	0.04	(0.22)	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Belden common stockholders (in dollars per share)	1.43	(1.23)	(9.37)
Diluted income (loss) per share attributable to Belden common stockholders:
Continuing operations attributable to Belden common stockholders (in dollars per share)	1.37	1.21	2.15
Discontinued operations attributable to Belden common stockholders (in dollars per share)	0	(2.22)	(11.53)
Disposal of discontinued operations attributable to Belden common stockholders (in dollars per share)	0.04	(0.22)	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Belden common stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.41	$ (1.23)	$ (9.37)