Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	VANGUARD WORLD FUND
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Dec. 20, 2019
Institutional | Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury Index Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Fund Summary
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The Fund seeks to track the performance of an index of extended-duration zero- coupon U.S. Treasury securities.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold Institutional Shares or Institutional Plus Shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (Fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in more taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the previous expense examples, reduce the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 20% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	20.00%
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Examples
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	The following examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund's Institutional Shares or Institutional Plus Shares with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. They illustrate the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over various periods if you were to invest $10,000 in the Fund's shares. These examples assume that the shares provide a return of 5% each year and that total annual fund operating expenses remain as stated in the preceding table. You would incur these hypothetical expenses whether or not you were to redeem your investment at the end of the given period. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury STRIPS 20–30 Year Equal Par Bond Index. This Index includes zero-coupon U.S. Treasury securities (Treasury STRIPS), which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, with maturities ranging from 20 to 30 years. A Treasury STRIP represents a single coupon payment, or a single principal payment, from a U.S. Treasury security that has been "stripped" into separately tradable components. The Fund invests by sampling the Index, meaning that it holds a range of securities that, in the aggregate, approximates the full Index in terms of key risk factors, including duration, cash flow, and other characteristics. All of the Fund's investments will be selected through the sampling process, and under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund's assets will be invested in U.S. Treasury securities held in the Index. The Fund maintains a dollar-weighted average maturity consistent with that of the Index, which generally ranges between 20 and 30 years. As of August 31, 2019, the dollar-weighted average maturity of the Index was 24.6 years.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time. You should expect the Fund's share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund is subject to the following risks, which could affect the Fund's performance: • Interest rate risk, which is the chance that bond prices overall will decline because of rising interest rates. The prices of long-term bonds, such as those held by the Fund, are much more sensitive to interest rate changes than are the prices of short-term bonds. Interest rate risk is expected to be very high for the Fund because it invests primarily in zero-coupon long-term bonds, which have prices that are even more sensitive to interest rate changes than are coupon-bearing bonds of similar maturity. Because the Fund invests primarily in Treasury STRIPS with maturities ranging from 20 to 30 years, rising interest rates may cause the value of the Fund's investments to decline significantly. • Index sampling risk, which is the chance that the securities selected for the Fund, in the aggregate, will not provide investment performance matching that of the Fund's target index. Index sampling risk for the Fund is expected to be low. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text]	rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution	An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Annual Total Returns
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund's Institutional Shares (including annual fund operating expenses but excluding shareholder fees) has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. If applicable shareholder fees were reflected, returns would be less than those shown in the bar chart. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the share classes presented (including annual fund operating expenses and any applicable shareholder fees) compare with those of the Fund's target index, which has investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. Keep in mind that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on our website at vanguard.com/performance or by calling Vanguard toll-free at 800-662-7447.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Fund's Institutional Shares (including annual fund operating expenses but excluding shareholder fees) has varied from one calendar year to another over the periods shown. If applicable shareholder fees were reflected, returns would be less than those shown in the bar chart. The table shows how the average annual total returns of the share classes presented (including annual fund operating expenses and any applicable shareholder fees) compare with those of the Fund's target index, which has investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund.
Performance Availability Phone [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone	800-662-7447
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	vanguard.com/performance
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	Keep in mind that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Annual Total Returns — Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury Index Fund Institutional Shares
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	If applicable shareholder fees were reflected, returns would be less than those shown in the bar chart.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a calendar quarter was 52.05% (quarter ended September 30, 2011), and the lowest return for a quarter was –20.01% (quarter ended March 31, 2009).
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Returns for Periods Ended December 31, 2018
Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads	rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads	The table shows how the average annual total returns of the share classes presented (including annual fund operating expenses and any applicable shareholder fees) compare with those of the Fund's target index, which has investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund.
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	When after-tax returns are calculated, it is assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the calculations.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	After-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder who holds fund shares in a tax- deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]	rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown	Please note that after-tax returns are shown only for the Institutional Shares and may differ for each share class.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher	rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher	Also, figures captioned Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other figures for the same period if a capital loss occurs upon redemption and results in an assumed tax deduction for the shareholder.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown in the preceding table. When after-tax returns are calculated, it is assumed that the shareholder was in the highest individual federal marginal income tax bracket at the time of each distribution of income or capital gains or upon redemption. State and local income taxes are not reflected in the calculations. Please note that after-tax returns are shown only for the Institutional Shares and may differ for each share class. After-tax returns are not relevant for a shareholder who holds fund shares in a tax- deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan. Also, figures captioned Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may be higher than other figures for the same period if a capital loss occurs upon redemption and results in an assumed tax deduction for the shareholder.
Institutional | Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury Index Fund | Institutional Shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Purchase Fee	rr_MaximumCumulativeSalesChargeOverOther	0.50%
Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Redemption Fee	rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption	none
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.06%
12b-1 Distribution Fee	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	none	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.06%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 6
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	19
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	34
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	77
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	6
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	19
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	34
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 77
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	(36.65%)	[2]
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	10.28%	[2]
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	55.79%	[2]
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	3.25%	[2]
2013	rr_AnnualReturn2013	(20.89%)	[2]
2014	rr_AnnualReturn2014	45.66%	[2]
2015	rr_AnnualReturn2015	(4.43%)	[2]
2016	rr_AnnualReturn2016	1.53%	[2]
2017	rr_AnnualReturn2017	13.52%	[2]
2018	rr_AnnualReturn2018	(3.49%)	[2]
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	year-to-date return
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2019
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	27.38%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	highest return
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2011
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	52.05%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	lowest return
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Mar. 31, 2009
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(20.01%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(3.98%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	9.03%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.20%
Institutional | Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury Index Fund | Institutional Plus Shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Purchase Fee	rr_MaximumCumulativeSalesChargeOverOther	0.50%
Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Redemption Fee	rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption	none
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.04%
12b-1 Distribution Fee	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	none	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.04%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 4
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	13
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	23
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	51
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	4
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	13
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	23
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 51
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(3.97%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	9.05%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	7.61%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Aug. 28, 2013
Institutional | Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury Index Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | Institutional Shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(5.14%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.45%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	1.13%
Institutional | Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury Index Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | Institutional Shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(2.38%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	6.44%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	1.56%
Institutional | Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury Index Fund | Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury STRIPS 20-30 Year Equal Par Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | Institutional Shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(4.16%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	8.91%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.41%
Institutional | Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury Index Fund | Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury STRIPS 20-30 Year Equal Par Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | Institutional Plus Shares
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(4.16%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	8.91%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	7.69%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Aug. 28, 2013

[1] 0.00%

[2] The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended on September 30, 2019, was 27.38%.