Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions					1 Months Ended							3 Months Ended					9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	21 Months Ended	23 Months Ended	45 Months Ended
	Oct. 23, 2015	Oct. 01, 2015 LegalMatter Plaintiff Claim Subsidiary	May. 01, 2015 USD ($)	Nov. 01, 2013 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 LegalMatter Patent	Apr. 30, 2015 LegalMatter	Apr. 30, 2014 LegalMatter	Jul. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2007 LegalMatter	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) LegalMatter	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($) LegalMatter Patent	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013 USD ($) LegalMatter	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) LegalMatter	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) LegalMatter	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2014 LegalMatter	Jan. 16, 2014 LegalMatter	Jun. 05, 2013 LegalMatter	Jul. 31, 2010 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2009 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2007 USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Product claims, charges incurred after tax												$ 228.0	$ 325.0	$ 238.0	$ 92.0	$ 276.0
Accruals for product liability and other legal matters												1,309.6					$ 1,309.6	$ 1,041.5	$ 1,309.6	$ 1,309.6	$ 1,309.6
Payments to qualified settlement fund																	47.9				297.4
Payments to qualified claimants from qualified settlement funds																	33.9				235.9
Other payments to qualified claimants from qualified settlement funds																	17.6				58.3
Accrued Expenses
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Accruals for product liability and other legal matters, accrued expenses												619.8					619.8	101.7	619.8	619.8	619.8
Subsequent Event | Minimum
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Proceedings that could be material to the company	However, one or more of the proceedings could be material to the company's business and/or results of operations.
Cases that could be settled at any time	These discussions could result in settlements of one or more of these claims at any time.
Receivables Related to Product Liability Matters
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Receivables related to product liability matters												150.2					150.2	379.3	150.2	150.2	150.2
Receivables Related to Product Liability Matters | Other Assets
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Receivables related to product liability matters, noncurrent												145.6					145.6	$ 358.9	$ 145.6	145.6	$ 145.6
W. L. Gore
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
U. S. District Court award for damages																									$ 109.0	$ 371.0	$ 185.0
Number of motions heard | LegalMatter																								3
Litigation judgment or settlement, amount			$ 210.5	$ 894.3
Gain (loss) related to litigation judgment or settlement, after tax													$ 131.7		557.4
Cumulative litigation settlement amount																				$ 1,370.3
Litigation related royalty revenue					$ 38.4												$ 113.7
Preliminary ruling number of motions | LegalMatter						3
Number of patents | Patent						1							1
W. L. Gore | Attorney Fees
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
U. S. District Court award for damages																										19.0
W. L. Gore | Prejudgment Interest
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
U. S. District Court award for damages																										$ 20.0
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%
Other (income) expense, net
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Product claims, charges incurred before taxes												$ 241.0	$ 337.0	$ 259.0	108.0	$ 293.0
Other (income) expense, net | W. L. Gore
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Gain (loss) related to litigation judgment or settlement													$ 210.5		$ 894.3
Hernia Product Claims
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of multidistrict litigations | LegalMatter											1
Hernia Product Claims | Canada
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of putative class actions settled | LegalMatter								3
Hernia Product Claims | Subsequent Event
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of individual plaintiffs | Plaintiff		90
Number of cases currently scheduled | LegalMatter		2
Hernia Product Claims | Subsequent Event | United States
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of putative class actions | LegalMatter		1
Hernia Product Claims | Federal Law Claims | Subsequent Event
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits | LegalMatter		35
Hernia Product Claims | State Law Claims | Subsequent Event
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits | LegalMatter		55
Hernia Product Claims | State Law Claims | Superior Court of State of Rhode Island | Subsequent Event
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits | LegalMatter		30
Number of individual plaintiffs | Plaintiff		30
Women's Health Product Claims
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims in settlement agreement | LegalMatter												3,030	2,880					560	6,470
The number of claims subject to an agreement or an agreement in principle | LegalMatter												3,030	2,880
Women's Health Product Claims | Medtronic
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Payment for settlement of indemnification obligation					$ 121.0
Women's Health Product Claims | California state case
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
U. S. District Court award for plaintiff's damages										$ 3.6
Women's Health Product Claims | Subsequent Event
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of individual plaintiffs | Plaintiff		12,850
Generic complaints | Claim		705
Number of claims not yet filed | LegalMatter		1,160
Women's Health Product Claims | Subsequent Event | Minimum
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of additional trials	The company anticipates that additional trials, including one or more possible consolidated trials, may occur in the future.
Women's Health Product Claims | Subsequent Event | Medtronic
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of subsidiaries of a parent company that have an obligation to indemnify | Subsidiary		2
Women's Health Product Claims | Subsequent Event | United States
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of putative class actions | LegalMatter		5
Women's Health Product Claims | Subsequent Event | Canada
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of putative class actions | LegalMatter		5
Women's Health Product Claims | Ontario Superior Court of Justice | Canada
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of putative class actions with class certifications dismissed | LegalMatter							1
Women's Health Product Claims | Multi District Litigation
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
U. S. District Court award for plaintiff's damages									$ 2.0
Number of individual case for trial | LegalMatter																						300	200
Filter Product Claims | Subsequent Event
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of individual plaintiffs | Plaintiff		65
Number of multidistrict litigations | LegalMatter		50
Number of claims not yet filed | LegalMatter		130
Filter Product Claims | State Law Claims | Minimum
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims in settlement agreement | LegalMatter																30
Filter Product Claims | State Law Claims | Subsequent Event
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits | LegalMatter		15
Period for additional filter product claims trials		12 months