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

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2019-12-16</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000006951</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>APPLIED MATERIALS INC /DE</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>AMAT</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001721738</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Raja Prabu G.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>3050 BOWERS AVE., M/S 1268, PO BOX 58039</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SANTA CLARA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>95054</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <officerTitle>SVP, Semi. Products Group</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2019-12-16</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>50000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>60.73</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>504329</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $60.60 to $60.83, inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide to Applied Materials, Inc. (&quot;Applied&quot;), any security holder of Applied, or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the ranges set forth in footnote 1 to this Form 4.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Number of shares includes 348,428 performance shares and restricted stock units previously reported that in the future will be converted on a one-for-one basis into shares of Applied common stock upon vesting, which vesting is scheduled to occur as follows: (a) 115,426 performance shares are scheduled to vest in December of 2019, (b) 133,799 restricted stock units are scheduled to vest in installments in December of 2019 through 2022, and (c) 99,203 performance shares are scheduled to vest in installments in December of 2020 through 2022, which number of shares is the target amount, and the actual number of shares that may vest ranges from 0% to 200% of the target amount, depending on achievement of specified performance goals (all vesting is subject to continued employment through each applicable vesting date).</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ To-Anh Nguyen, Attorney-in-Fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2019-12-18</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
