Fee to be paid to Danaher if certain terminations of the Merger Agreement occur.

No definition available.

Name:	dhr_BusinessCombinationMergerAgreementContractTerminationFee
Namespace Prefix:	dhr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Business Combination, Merger Agreement, Shareholders Approval of Merger, Percentage

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dhr_BusinessCombinationMergerAgreementShareholdersApprovalofMergerPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	dhr_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total revenue reported by the acquired entity for its previous full fiscal year before the business acquisition.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionRevenueReportedByAcquiredEntityForLastAnnualPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Price of a single share of a number of saleable stocks paid or offered to be paid in a business combination.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionSharePrice
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of consideration transferred, consisting of acquisition-date fair value of assets transferred by the acquirer, liabilities incurred by the acquirer, and equity interest issued by the acquirer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 30

-Section 30

-Paragraph 7

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6578-128477

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e6927-128479

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 30

-Section 30

-Paragraph 8

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6613-128477

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the amount of any measurement period adjustment (as defined) realized during the reporting period to inventory acquired in connection with a business combination for which the initial accounting was incomplete.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 6

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56956515&loc=d3e1500-128463

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationProvisionalInformationInitialAccountingIncompleteAdjustmentInventory
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase in asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized resulting from a business combination.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of businesses acquired by the entity during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of a business, net of the cash acquired from the purchase.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 13

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56944662&loc=d3e3213-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Investing Activities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=dhr_PallCorporationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_NonrecurringAdjustmentAxis=us-gaap_FairValueAdjustmentToInventoryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=dhr_NobelBiocareMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dhr_LifeSciencesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dhr_IndustrialMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Acquisitions (Narrative) (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	May. 12, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares	Jul. 03, 2015 USD ($) Businesses	Jun. 27, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Businesses acquired \| Businesses		7
Cash paid for acquisitions		$ 598.9	$ 606.7
Aggregate annual sales of additional businesses				$ 305.0
Goodwill		$ 269.3
Pall Corporation
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business combination, share price \| $ / shares	$ 127.20
Business combination, consideration transferred	$ 13,800.0
Business combination, termination fee, amount	$ 423.0
Fair value adjustments to inventory \| Nobel Biocare
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value adjustments to inventory				$ 27.0
Operating segments \| Pall Corporation
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Aggregate annual sales of additional businesses					$ 2,800.0
Life Sciences \| Operating segments \| Pall Corporation
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Aggregate annual sales of additional businesses					1,500.0
Industrial \| Operating segments \| Pall Corporation
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Aggregate annual sales of additional businesses					$ 1,300.0
Minimum \| Pall Corporation
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Merger agreement, shareholders approval of merger, percentage	66.67%