Revenue (Schedule of Impact of the Adoption ASC 606 on Consolidated Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2019	Oct. 01, 2018		Sep. 30, 2018		Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 99,073	$ 83,594		$ 83,594		$ 87,552	$ 81,090
Accounts receivable, net		591,529	567,671	[1],[2]	432,003	[1],[2]
Inventories		516,836	475,990	[1],[2]	549,596	[1],[2]
Income taxes receivable		8,099	5,150	[3]	6,397	[3]
Other current assets		55,691	43,053		43,207
Total current assets		1,271,228	1,175,458		1,114,797
Property, plant and equipment, net		1,058,775	1,060,005		1,060,005
Goodwill		797,853	813,250		813,250		556,545
Intangible assets, net		611,992	698,364	[4]	700,883	[4]
Deferred income tax assets		18,161	15,385	[3]	16,570	[3]
Other assets		198,517	171,009	[1],[2],[5]	85,144	[1],[2],[5]
Total assets		3,956,526	3,933,471		3,790,649		2,757,109
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings		220,000	153,635		153,635
Accounts payable		240,460	226,285		226,285
Income taxes payable		18,849	22,097	[3]	16,745	[3]
Accrued liabilities		228,127	209,138	[2],[5]	194,513	[2],[5]
Total current liabilities		707,436	611,155		591,178
Long-term debt, less current portion		864,899	1,092,397		1,092,397
Net deferred tax liabilities		151,362	176,430	[3]	170,915	[3]
Other liabilities		506,088	476,685	[5]	398,055	[5]
Total liabilities		2,229,785	2,356,667		2,252,545
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock
Common stock		106	106		106
Additional paid-in capital		207,120	185,705		185,705
Accumulated other comprehensive losses		(103,306)	(74,987)		(74,942)
Deferred compensation		9,382	8,431		8,431
Retained earnings		2,224,919	2,005,388		1,966,643
Stockholders' equity		2,338,221	2,124,643		2,085,943
Treasury stock at cost		(602,098)	(539,408)		(539,408)
Treasury stock held for deferred compensation		(9,382)	(8,431)		(8,431)
Total stockholders' equity		1,726,741	1,576,804		1,538,104		$ 1,371,383	$ 1,212,595
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity		3,956,526	$ 3,933,471		3,790,649
Adjustments [Member] | ASC 606 [Member]
Current assets:
Accounts receivable, net		172,058			135,668	[1],[2]
Inventories		(98,105)			(73,606)	[1],[2]
Income taxes receivable		(11,001)			(1,247)	[3]
Other current assets		1,026			(154)
Total current assets		63,978			60,661
Intangible assets, net	[4]				(2,519)
Deferred income tax assets		(1,288)			(1,185)	[3]
Other assets		107,035			85,865	[1],[2],[5]
Total assets		169,725			142,822
Current liabilities:
Income taxes payable		3,838			5,352	[3]
Accrued liabilities		18,220			14,625	[2],[5]
Total current liabilities		22,058			19,977
Net deferred tax liabilities		(2,159)			5,515	[3]
Other liabilities		105,891			78,630	[5]
Total liabilities		125,790			104,122
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock
Accumulated other comprehensive losses		(443)			(45)
Retained earnings		44,378			38,745
Stockholders' equity		43,935			38,700
Total stockholders' equity		43,935			38,700
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity		169,725			142,822
Under Previous Standard [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		99,073			$ 83,594
Accounts receivable, net		419,471
Inventories		614,941
Income taxes receivable		19,100
Other current assets		54,665
Total current assets		1,207,250
Property, plant and equipment, net		1,058,775
Goodwill		797,853
Intangible assets, net		611,992
Deferred income tax assets		19,449
Other assets		91,482
Total assets		3,786,801
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings		220,000
Accounts payable		240,460
Income taxes payable		15,011
Accrued liabilities		209,907
Total current liabilities		685,378
Long-term debt, less current portion		864,899
Net deferred tax liabilities		153,521
Other liabilities		400,197
Total liabilities		2,103,995
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock
Common stock		106
Additional paid-in capital		207,120
Accumulated other comprehensive losses		(102,863)
Deferred compensation		9,382
Retained earnings		2,180,541
Stockholders' equity		2,294,286
Treasury stock at cost		(602,098)
Treasury stock held for deferred compensation		(9,382)
Total stockholders' equity		1,682,806
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity		$ 3,786,801

[1] The adoption of ASC 606 changed the revenue recognition practices for a number of revenue generating activities across Woodward’s businesses, although the most significant impacts are concentrated in product being produced for customers that have no alternative use to Woodward and Woodward has an enforceable right to payment with a profit, and MRO. The revenue related to these activities, which previously was accounted for on a point in time basis, is now required to use an over time model because the associated contracts meet one or more of the mandatory criteria established in ASC 606, as described above, and are included as current unbilled receivables in “Accounts receivable” and noncurrent unbilled receivables in “Other assets.” The change in the timing of revenue recognized in connection with over time contracts similarly changed the timing of manufacturing cost recognition and certain engineering and development costs, which are reflected as a reduction to inventory.

[2] The value of noncash consideration in the form of exchanged products and other customer provided inventory is reflected in “Inventories,” and in contract liabilities, which are included in “Accrued liabilities.”

[3] The value of tax assets and tax liabilities was impacted by the change in timing of the recognition of assets and liabilities within tax jurisdictions. T

[4] The net book value of the backlog and customer relationships and contracts intangible assets was adjusted concurrent with the change in the timing of the associated revenue, resulting in a reduction in the net book value of these assets as of the date of adoption.

[5] Woodward recorded customer funding of product engineering and development identified as material rights as current and noncurrent deferred revenue contract liabilities included in “Accrued liabilities” and “Other liabilities.” The related customer funded product engineering and development costs were capitalized as costs to fulfill a contract, to the extent of the contractually committed customer funded payments, and are recorded as “Other assets.”