Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			36 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	15 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Nov. 01, 2013	Jan. 31, 2015	Jan. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2007 LegalMatter	Apr. 30, 2014 LegalMatter	Feb. 01, 2015 Plaintiff	Mar. 31, 2013 Carriers	Jul. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2014 LegalMatter Plaintiff	Sep. 30, 2013 Claim	Feb. 09, 2015 LegalMatter Plaintiff Claim	Jul. 31, 2013	Feb. 18, 2015	Jul. 31, 2010	Mar. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2007	Jul. 31, 2014 LegalMatter	Jan. 16, 2014 LegalMatter
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation judgment or settlement, amount		$ 894.3		$ 0	$ 894.3	$ 0
Product claims, charges incurred after tax	238	92	276
Accruals for product liability and other legal matters		662.4		1,041.5	662.4		1,041.5
Payments to qualified settlement fund				72.4			249.5
Payments to qualified claimants from qualified settlement funds				41.2			202.0
Other payments to qualified claimants from qualified settlement funds				6.5			35.9
Minimum annual rentals, 2015				30.5			30.5
Minimum annual rentals, 2016				27.0			27.0
Minimum annual rentals, 2017				20.8			20.8
Minimum annual rentals, 2018				16.5			16.5
Minimum annual rentals, 2019				12.3			12.3
Minimum annual rentals, thereafter				49.1			49.1
Total rental expense for operating leases				32.3	29.4	25.9
Accrued Expenses
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Accruals for product liability and other legal matters, accrued expenses		117.5		101.7	117.5		101.7
Total Receivables Related to Product Liability Matters
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Receivables related to product liability matters		234.9		379.3	234.9		379.3
Receivables Related to Product Liability Matters | Other Assets
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Receivables related to product liability matters				358.9			358.9
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Product claims, charges incurred before taxes	259	108	293
W. L. Gore
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
U. S. District Court award for damages																					109	371	185
Litigation judgment or settlement, amount								894.3
Gain (loss) related to litigation judgment or settlement, after tax		557.4
Litigation related royalty revenue				151.8
W. L. Gore | Attorney Fees
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
U. S. District Court award for damages																						19
W. L. Gore | Prejudgment Interest
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
U. S. District Court award for damages																						20
W. L. Gore | Minimum
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Court-assessed royalty rate																					12.50%
W. L. Gore | Maximum
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Court-assessed royalty rate																					20.00%
W. L. Gore | Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Gain (loss) related to litigation judgment or settlement		894.3
W. L. Gore | Subsequent Event
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation related royalty revenue									38.4
Cumulative litigation settlement amount										1,084.5
W. L. Gore | Subsequent Event | Enhanced Damages Related to Willfulness
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Enhanced damages contingent gain													206
Hernia Product Claims
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of multidistrict litigations											1
Hernia Product Claims | Canada
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of putative class actions settled												3
Hernia Product Claims | Subsequent Event
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of individual plaintiffs													125
Hernia Product Claims | Subsequent Event | United States
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits													1
Number of putative class actions													3
Number of previously filed class action lawsuits consolidated into putative class actions													8
Hernia Product Claims | Subsequent Event | Federal Law Claims
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits													80
Hernia Product Claims | Subsequent Event | State Law Claims
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits													45
Hernia Product Claims | Arbitration Proceedings
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Non-cash charge write off related to insurance receivable after tax														24.5
Number of insurance carriers														1
Hernia Product Claims | Arbitration Proceedings | Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Non-cash charge write off related to insurance receivable														25.0
Hernia Product Claims | Superior Court of State of Rhode Island | Subsequent Event | State Law Claims
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits													25
Number of individual plaintiffs													25
Women's Health Product Claims
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
U. S. District Court award for plaintiff's damages															3.6
Number of plaintiffs law firms in settlement agreement	2															1
Number of claims in settlement agreement																25
Women's Health Product Claims | New Jersey state case
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency claims settled number																	1
Women's Health Product Claims | Minimum
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims in settlement agreement	500
Women's Health Product Claims | Subsequent Event
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of individual plaintiffs																		14,090
Generic complaints																		850
Number of claim not yet filed																		1,800
Percentage of cases indemnified																		50.00%
Women's Health Product Claims | Subsequent Event | United States
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of putative class actions																		5
Women's Health Product Claims | Subsequent Event | Canada
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of putative class actions																		4
Women's Health Product Claims | Multi District Litigation
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
U. S. District Court award for plaintiff's damages																			$ 2.0
Loss contingency claims settled number	1																1
Loss contingency claims dismissed number																	1
Number of individual case for trial																								300	200
Women's Health Product Claims | Multi District Litigation | Subsequent Event
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Trial scheduled and settlement agreement reached in principle date																				2015-02
Women's Health Product Claims | State Court Of Missouri | Subsequent Event | State Law Claims
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Trial scheduled date																				2015-04
Filter Product Claims | State Law Claims | Minimum
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims in settlement agreement			30
Filter Product Claims | Subsequent Event
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of individual plaintiffs																		50
Number of claim not yet filed																		150
Filter Product Claims | Subsequent Event | State Law Claims
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Period for additional filter product claims trials																		12 months