Retirement Benefits (Narrative) (Details) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($) yr shares	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($) shares
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of annual contribution equal to eligible prior year wages	5.00%
Number of years of service	2 years
Common shares issued for benefit plans		$ 19,466	$ 17,132	$ 14,900
Shares of woodward stock held in woodward retirement savings plan | shares		2,441	2,553
Accrued liabilities		$ 16,634	$ 14,769
Treasury Stock at Cost [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Common shares issued for benefit plans		$ 8,523	$ 6,567	$ 5,358
Common shares issued from treasury stock for benefit plans, shares | shares		188	150	128
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current portion of pension obligation		$ 1,084	$ 976
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost		2,455	(683)	$ (3,191)
Projected benefit obligation		194,485	197,921	299,364
Fair value of plan assets		206,145	202,060	291,107
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Cash and Cash Equivalents
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		2,534	2,732
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Pooled funds: Index linked U.K. government securities fund [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		14,601	3,701
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Pooled funds: Index linked U.K. long-term government securities fund [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		4,485	4,645
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | United States [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost		$ 883	(2,778)	(5,948)
Discount rate support/source data		In the United States, Woodward uses a bond portfolio matching analysis based on recently traded, non-callable bonds rated AA or better that have at least $50 million outstanding to determine the benefit obligations at year end
Convergence period		5 years
Long term rate		0.75
Projected benefit obligation		$ 127,222	132,444	177,346
Fair value of plan assets		155,370	154,481	221,263
Accumulated benefit obligation		127,222
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year		0
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Foreign Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current portion of pension obligation		1,084	976
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost		$ 1,572	2,095	2,757
Discount rate support/source data		In the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan, Woodward uses a high-quality corporate bond yield curve matched with separate cash flows to develop a single rate to determine the single rate equivalent to settle the entire benefit obligations in each jurisdiction. For the fiscal years ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the discount rate used to determine periodic service cost and interest cost components of the overall benefit costs was based on spot rates derived from the same high-quality corporate bond yield curve used to determine the September 30, 2022 and 2021 benefit obligation, respectively, matched with separate cash flows for each future year
Projected benefit obligation		$ 67,263	65,477	122,018
Fair value of plan assets		50,775	47,579	69,844
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | United Kingdom
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Projected benefit obligation		30,466
Fair value of plan assets		42,194
Accumulated benefit obligation		30,067
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year		1,154
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Japan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Projected benefit obligation		6,249
Fair value of plan assets		8,581
Accumulated benefit obligation		5,790
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year		126
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Germany [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Projected benefit obligation		30,548
Fair value of plan assets		0
Accumulated benefit obligation		30,547
Estimated future employer contributions in the next fiscal year		$ 1,106
Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member] | Japan And United Kingdom [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Annual improvement rate		1.5
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current portion of pension obligation		$ 1,739	1,803
Net periodic retirement (benefit) cost		410	484	631
Projected benefit obligation		15,336	16,797	$ 21,544
Accumulated benefit obligation		$ 15,336	$ 16,797
Option to elect company provided medical insurance coverage up to this age and a Medicare supplemental plan after this age | yr		65
Age employees were eligible to participate in plan | yr		55
Defined benefit plan, minimum years of service required for employees to be eligible for benefits			10 years
Approximate number of retired employees and their covered dependents and beneficiaries currently providing postretirement benefits		3
Approximate number of active employees and their covered dependants and beneficiaries who may receive postretirement benefits in the future		381
As a result of a plan amendment, all postretirement medical benefits are fully insured for retirees who have attained this age			65
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Member] | United States [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Discount rate support/source data		Woodward used a bond portfolio matching analysis based on recently traded, non-callable bonds rated AA or better that have at least $50 million outstanding to determine the benefit obligations at year end
Convergence period		5 years
Long term rate		0.75
Woodward Retirement Savings Plan [Member] | United States [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation			$ 132,444
Woodward Retirement Savings Plan [Member] | United Kingdom
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation			30,342
Woodward Retirement Savings Plan [Member] | Japan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation			6,432
Woodward Retirement Savings Plan [Member] | Germany [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation			$ 27,707