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Discontinued Operations And Other Dispositions (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
Share data in Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 8 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Sep. 26, 2014
Jun. 27, 2014
Mar. 28, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Sep. 27, 2013
Jun. 28, 2013
Mar. 29, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Jul. 04, 2010
Feb. 28, 2013
Jan. 31, 2012
Feb. 29, 2012
Mar. 30, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Aug. 31, 2014
Aug. 31, 2014
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]                                      
Proceeds from sale of business                 $ 0us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinessesNetOfCashDivested $ 0us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinessesNetOfCashDivested $ 337,500,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinessesNetOfCashDivested                
Sales 5,417,200,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet 4,870,300,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet 4,963,600,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet 4,662,700,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet 5,266,700,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet 4,669,100,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet 4,737,500,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet 4,444,700,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet 19,913,800,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet 19,118,000,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet 18,260,400,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet                
Gain on sale of a product line                 33,900,000us-gaap_DisposalGroupNotDiscontinuedOperationGainLossOnDisposal 0us-gaap_DisposalGroupNotDiscontinuedOperationGainLossOnDisposal 0us-gaap_DisposalGroupNotDiscontinuedOperationGainLossOnDisposal                
After-tax gain on sale of business, per diluted share                 $ 0.11dhr_AfterTaxGainOnSaleUponClosingOfTransactionPerDilutedShare                    
Note receivable 275,000,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableNet       224,000,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableNet       275,000,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableNet 224,000,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableNet                  
Pre-tax gain on sale of unconsolidated joint venture                 0us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfStockInSubsidiaryOrEquityMethodInvestee 229,800,000us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfStockInSubsidiaryOrEquityMethodInvestee 0us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfStockInSubsidiaryOrEquityMethodInvestee                
Earnings from unconsolidated joint venture                 0us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 0us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 69,900,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments                
Apex                                      
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]                                      
Ownership in limited liability company                     50.00%us-gaap_LimitedLiabilityCompanyLLCOrLimitedPartnershipLPMembersOrLimitedPartnersOwnershipInterest
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50.00%us-gaap_LimitedLiabilityCompanyLLCOrLimitedPartnershipLPMembersOrLimitedPartnersOwnershipInterest
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= dhr_ApexMember
             
Proceeds from sale of equity method investments                         1,600,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfEquityMethodInvestments
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Total fair value of consideration received                         797,100,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentNetSalesProceeds
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Cash, including $66.6 of dividends received during 2013 prior to the closing of the sale                         758,600,000dhr_CashReceivedFromSaleOfEquityMethodInvestment
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Dividends received prior to the closing of the sale                         66,600,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentDividendsOrDistributions
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Note receivable                         38,500,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableNet
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Pre-tax gain on sale of unconsolidated joint venture               230,000,000us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfStockInSubsidiaryOrEquityMethodInvestee
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        229,800,000us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfStockInSubsidiaryOrEquityMethodInvestee
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After-tax gain on sale of unconsolidated joint venture               144,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal
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        143,600,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal
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Realized gain on disposal, per diluted share               $ 0.20dhr_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposalPerDilutedShare
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Earnings from unconsolidated joint venture                     70,000,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
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Test & Measurement                                      
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]                                      
Sales                 3,461,900,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
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3,417,300,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
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3,381,000,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
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Test & Measurement | Communications business                                      
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]                                      
Consideration of shares, number of shares 62.5dhr_BusinessCombinationMergerAgreementAggregateConsiderationNumberOfShares
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Business combination, merger agreement, aggregate consideration, number of shares 60.00%dhr_BusinessCombinationMergerAgreementPercentageOfInvestmentOwnership
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              60.00%dhr_BusinessCombinationMergerAgreementPercentageOfInvestmentOwnership
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Revenue net percentage of segment revenue                 22.00%dhr_RevenueNetPercentageOfSegmentRevenue
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ASI                                      
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]                                      
Proceeds from sale of business                           132,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinessesNetOfCashDivested
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KEO                                      
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]                                      
Proceeds from sale of business                             205,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinessesNetOfCashDivested
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ASI and KEO                                      
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]                                      
Sales                                 275,000,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
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Gain on sale, net of $55.0 million of related income taxes                     93,700,000us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationGainLossOnDisposalOfDiscontinuedOperationNetOfTax
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        94,000,000us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationGainLossOnDisposalOfDiscontinuedOperationNetOfTax
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After-tax gain on sale of business, per diluted share                               $ 0.13dhr_AfterTaxGainOnSaleUponClosingOfTransactionPerDilutedShare
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EVS hybrid                                      
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]                                      
Proceeds from sale of business                                   87,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinessesNetOfCashDivested
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Sales                   100,000,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
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100,000,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
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              60,000,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
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Gain on sale of a product line   34,000,000us-gaap_DisposalGroupNotDiscontinuedOperationGainLossOnDisposal
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After tax gain on disposal net of tax   $ 26,000,000dhr_DisposalGroupNotDiscontinuedOperationGainLossonDisposalNetofTax
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After-tax gain on sale of business, per diluted share   $ 0.04dhr_AfterTaxGainOnSaleUponClosingOfTransactionPerDilutedShare
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