Retirement Benefits (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Schedule of Amount of Expense Associated with Defined Contribution Plans

The amount of expense associated with defined contribution plans was as follows:

	Three-Months Ended
	December 31,
	2020		2019
Company costs	$	8,036	$	8,704

Schedule of Estimated Remaining Cash Contributions

Woodward estimates its remaining cash contributions in fiscal year 2021 will be as follows:

Retirement pension benefits:
United States	$	—
United Kingdom		512
Japan		—
Germany		868
Other postretirement benefits		3,075

Schedule of Amounts of Contributions Associated with Multiemployer Defined Benefit Plans

The amounts of contributions associated with the multiemployer defined benefit plans were as follows:

	Three-Months Ended
	December 31,
	2020		2019
Company contributions	$	68	$	70

Defined Benefit Pension Plan [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Schedule of Net Periodic Benefit Costs

The components of the net periodic retirement pension costs recognized are as follows:

	Three-Months Ended December 31,
	United States						Other Countries						Total
	2020			2019			2020			2019			2020			2019
Service cost	$	432		$	415		$	729		$	710		$	1,161		$	1,125
Interest cost		1,239			1,398			333			321			1,572			1,719
Expected return on plan assets		(3,536	)		(3,087	)		(602	)		(832	)		(4,138	)		(3,919	)
Amortization of:
Net actuarial loss		135			358			228			261			363			619
Prior service cost		242			234			6			6			248			240
Net periodic retirement pension (benefit) cost	$	(1,488	)	$	(682	)	$	694		$	466		$	(794	)	$	(216	)
Contributions paid	$	—		$	—		$	543		$	1,131		$	543		$	1,131

Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Schedule of Net Periodic Benefit Costs

The components of the net periodic other postretirement benefit costs recognized are as follows:

	Three-Months Ended
	December 31,
	2020		2019
Service cost	$	—	$	1
Interest cost		150		195
Amortization of:
Net actuarial loss		7		12
Prior service cost (benefit)		—		1
Net periodic other postretirement cost	$	157	$	209
Contributions paid	$	38	$	345