<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2005-07-29</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001070494</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ACADIA PHARMACEUTICALS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>ACAD</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001140484</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>OXFORD BIOSCIENCE PARTNERS IV LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>222 BERKELEY ST.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BOSTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>02116</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001161302</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>MRNA FUND  II LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>222 BERKELEY ST.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BOSTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>02116</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001286541</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>OBP MANAGEMENT IV LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>222 BERKELEY ST.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BOSTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>02116</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001261294</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BARNES JEFFREY T</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>222 BERKELEY ST.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BOSTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>02116</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001286397</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>CARTHY MARK</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>222 BERKELEY ST.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BOSTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>02116</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001262294</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>FLEMING JONATHAN</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>222 BERKELEY ST.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BOSTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>02116</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001286396</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>LYTTON MICHAEL</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>222 BERKELEY ST.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BOSTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>02116</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001214273</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>WALTON ALAN G</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>222 BERKELEY ST.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BOSTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>02116</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock Warrant (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>8.148</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-07-29</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>89900</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>3.09</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2005-10-17</value>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2010-04-19</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>89900</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>236500</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Securities held of record by Oxford Bioscience Partners IV L.P. (&quot;Oxford IV&quot;).  By virtue of their relationship as affiliated limited partnerships, whose sole general partner shares individual general partners, Oxford IV and mRNA Fund II L.P. (&quot;mRNA&quot;) may be deemed to share voting power and the power to direct the disposition of the shares which each partnership owns of record.  OBP Management IV L.P. (&quot;OBP IV&quot;) (as the general partner of Oxford IV), may also be deemed to own beneficially the shares held of record by Oxford IV.  Each of Messrs. Barnes, Carthy, Fleming, Lytton, and Walton (who is a Director of the Issuer), the individual general partners of OBP IV, may be deemed to own beneficially the shares held by Oxford IV.  The reporting persons disclaim beneficial ownership of the securities except to the extent of their pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Raymond Charest, as attorney-in-fact for Jonathan J. Fleming, as general partner of the general partner of Oxford Bioscience Partners IV L.P.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-08-02</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Alexia Pearsall, as attorney-in-fact for Jonathan J. Fleming, as general partner of the general partner of mRNA Fund II L.P.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-08-02</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Raymond Charest, as attorney-in-fact for Jonathan J. Fleming, as general partner of OBP Management IV L.P.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-08-02</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Raymond Charest, as attorney-in-fact for Jeffrey T. Barnes</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-08-02</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Raymond Charest, as attorney-in-fact for Mark P. Carthy</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-08-02</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Raymond Charest, as attorney-in-fact for Jonathan J. Fleming</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-08-02</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Michael E. Lytton</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-08-02</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Raymond Charest, as attorney-in-fact for Alan G. Walton</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-08-02</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
