LOANS AND ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES - Non-Accrual Loans by Loan Class (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2024	Dec. 31, 2023
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Nonaccrual Loans	$ 59,088	$ 53,580
Nonaccrual Loans with no Allowance for Credit Losses	15,211	14,367
Commercial and industrial loans
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Nonaccrual Loans	8,612	9,050
Nonaccrual Loans with no Allowance for Credit Losses	2,459	1,015
Agricultural land, production and other loans to farmers
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Nonaccrual Loans	81	58
Nonaccrual Loans with no Allowance for Credit Losses	0	0
Construction
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Nonaccrual Loans	0	520
Nonaccrual Loans with no Allowance for Credit Losses	0	0
Commercial real estate, non-owner occupied
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Nonaccrual Loans	23,283	11,932
Nonaccrual Loans with no Allowance for Credit Losses	10,175	11,095
Commercial real estate, owner occupied
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Nonaccrual Loans	3,237	3,041
Nonaccrual Loans with no Allowance for Credit Losses	2,577	2,257
Residential
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Nonaccrual Loans	18,905	25,140
Nonaccrual Loans with no Allowance for Credit Losses	0	0
Home equity
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Nonaccrual Loans	4,925	3,820
Nonaccrual Loans with no Allowance for Credit Losses	0	0
Individuals' loans for household and other personal expenditures
Financing Receivable, Past Due [Line Items]
Nonaccrual Loans	45	19
Nonaccrual Loans with no Allowance for Credit Losses	$ 0	$ 0

Amortized cost of financing receivable on nonaccrual status with no allowance for credit loss. Excludes net investment in lease.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 16
-Subparagraph (d)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-16

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableNonaccrualNoAllowance
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amortized cost of financing receivable on nonaccrual status. Excludes net investment in lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147481962/310-10-50-7

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name Regulation S-K (SK)
-Number 229
-Section 1405
-Paragraph a
-Subparagraph (3)
-Publisher SEC

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name Regulation S-K (SK)
-Number 229
-Section 1405
-Paragraph a
-Subparagraph (2)
-Publisher SEC

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 16
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-16

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentNonaccrualStatus
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 14
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-14

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 80
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479294/326-20-55-80

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=frme_CommercialAndIndustrialLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=frme_FarmingAndAgricultureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=us-gaap_ConstructionLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=frme_CommercialRealEstateNonOwnerOccupiedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=frme_CommercialRealEstateOwnerOccupiedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=us-gaap_ResidentialRealEstateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=us-gaap_HomeEquityLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=us-gaap_ConsumerLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: