<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-09-19</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000310624</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>AMERICAN MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>AMSY</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001212424</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>MOREA DONNA S</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>4050 LEGATO ROAD</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FAIRFAX</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>VA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>22033</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>Executive Vice President</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>48904</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding></nonDerivativeTable><derivativeTable><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>22.625</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F1"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2006-01-21</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>5000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>5000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>33.375</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F2"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2004-02-29</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>2500</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>2500</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>31.8125</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F3"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2010-02-28</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>9000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>9000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>20.56</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F4"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2009-05-10</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>50597</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>50597</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>21.00</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F5"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2009-06-07</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>24403</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>24403</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>11.04</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F6"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2010-03-06</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>40000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>40000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>13.97</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-09-19</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>10000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><footnoteId id="F8"/></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F7"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2010-09-19</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>10000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>10000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeTransaction></derivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Options vest in equal monthly installments over a period of 8 years beginning on February 21,1998.</footnote><footnote id="F2">Options were fully vested as of June 30, 2001.</footnote><footnote id="F3">Options were fully vested as of June 30, 2001.</footnote><footnote id="F4">Options vest in three equal annual installments beginning on May 10, 2003.</footnote><footnote id="F5">Options vest in three equal annual installments beginning on June 7, 2003.</footnote><footnote id="F6">Options vest in three equal annual installments beginning on March 6, 2004.</footnote><footnote id="F7">Options vest in three equal annual installments beginning on September 19, 2004.</footnote><footnote id="F8">Grant of 16b-3 option.</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>Lisa A. Hunt as Attorney-in-Fact</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-09-23</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

