485BPOS

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 11, 2019

Securities Act File No. 033-40823

Investment Company Act No. 811-06318

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1933
Post-effective Amendment No. 79	☒
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
Post-effective Amendment No. 81	☒
(Check appropriate box or boxes)

Morgan Stanley Pathway Funds

2000 Westchester Avenue

Purchase, NY 10577

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (800) 869-3326

CT Corp

155 Federal Street Suite 700

Boston, MA 02110

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Continuous

(Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering)

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

☒ immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

☐ on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)

☐ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

☐ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

☐ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(3)

☐ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)

☐ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Post-Effective Amendment (“PEA”) No. 79 to the Registration Statement of Morgan Stanley Pathway Funds (the “Trust”) hereby incorporates by reference, the Trust’s PEA No. 78 on Form N-1A filed on December 21, 2018. This PEA No. 79 is filed for the sole purpose of submitting the XBRL exhibit for the risk/return summary first provided in PEA No. 78 to the Trust’s Registration Statement.

The exhibits filed herewith do not constitute the complete publicly filed disclosure of the Trust and should be used in conjunction with the complete prospectus of the Trust.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and has duly caused this PEA No. 79 to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, and where applicable, the true and lawful attorney-in-fact, thereto duly authorized, in the town of Purchase and State of New York on the 11^th day of January, 2019.

MORGAN STANLEY PATHWAY FUNDS

By:	/s/ Paul Ricciardelli
	Paul Ricciardelli, Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this PEA to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

Name	Title	Date
/s/ Paul Ricciardelli	Chief Executive Officer	January 11, 2019
Paul Ricciardelli
/s/ Francis Smith	Chief Financial Officer	January 11, 2019
Francis Smith
	Trustee	January 11, 2019
Adela Cepeda*
	Trustee	January 11, 2019
W. Thomas Matthews*
	Trustee	January 11, 2019
Eric McKissack*
	Trustee	January 11, 2019
Mark J. Reed*
*  Signed pursuant to a power of attorney dated January 1, 2019.

/s/ Eric Metallo
Eric Metallo, Attorney-in-Fact Secretary	January 11, 2019

Exhibit Index

Exhibit Number	Description
EX-101.INS	XBRL Instance Document
EX-101.SCH	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
EX-101.CAL	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase
EX-101.DEF	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
EX-101.LAB	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase
EX-101.PRE	XBRL Taxomony Extension Presentation Linkbase

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Document Type	dei_DocumentType	485BPOS
Document Period End Date	dei_DocumentPeriodEndDate	Aug. 31, 2018
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	MORGAN STANLEY PATHWAY FUNDS
Central Index Key	dei_EntityCentralIndexKey	0000875186
Amendment Flag	dei_AmendmentFlag	false
Document Creation Date	dei_DocumentCreationDate	Dec. 21, 2018
Document Effective Date	dei_DocumentEffectiveDate	Jan. 01, 2019
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 01, 2019
Entity Inv Company Type	dei_EntityInvCompanyType	N-1A

XML

Large Cap Equity Fund

Large Cap Equity Fund

<b>Investment objective</b>

Capital appreciation.

<b>Fund fees and expenses</b>

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)

Shareholder Fees	Large Cap Equity Fund Large Cap Equity Fund
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	2.00%	[1]

<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses	Large Cap Equity Fund Large Cap Equity Fund
Management Fees	0.60%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	none
Other Expenses	0.09%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.69%
Waiver	(0.21%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.48%	[1]

<b>Examples</b>

These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example	AFTER 1 YEAR	AFTER 3 YEARS	AFTER 5 YEARS	AFTER 10 YEARS
Large Cap Equity Fund | Large Cap Equity Fund | USD ($)	251	815	1,406	3,007

<b>Portfolio turnover</b>

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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 29% of the average value of its portfolio.

<b>Principal investment strategies</b>

The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in the equity securities of large capitalization (or “cap”) companies or in other investments with similar economic characteristics. The Fund defines large cap companies as companies whose market capitalizations typically fall within the range of the Russell 1000^® Index. The market capitalization of the companies in large-cap market indices and the Fund’s portfolio changes over time. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in the securities of foreign issuers that are not traded on a U.S. exchange or the U.S. over-the-counter market. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help Fund performance.

The Fund employs a “multi-manager” strategy whereby portions of the Fund are allocated to professional money managers (each, a “Sub-adviser,” collectively, the “Sub-advisers”) who are responsible for investing the assets of the Fund.

<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund</b>

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.

The Fund’s principal risks include:

• Market Risk, which is the risk that stock prices decline overall. Markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to real or perceived adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments in the U.S. and in other countries. Market risk may affect a single company, sector of the economy or the market as a whole.
• Equity Risk, which is the risk that prices of equity securities rise and fall daily due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or the equity market as a whole.
• Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”) Risk, which is the risk of owning shares of an ETF and generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF is designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio securities. When the Fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses.
• Investment Style Risk, which means large cap and/or growth stocks could fall out of favor with investors and trail the performance of other types of investments.
• Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
• Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well.
• Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by a Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform. This risk is common for all actively managed funds.
• Multi-Manager Risk, which is the risk that the investment styles of the Sub-advisers may not complement each other as expected by the Manager. The Fund may experience a higher portfolio turnover rate, which can increase the Fund’s transaction costs and result in more taxable short-term gains for shareholders.
• Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.
• Sector Risk, which is the risk that the value of securities in a particular industry or sector will decline because of changing expectations for the performance of that industry or sector. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events.

For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.

<b>Performance</b>

The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.

<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>Large Cap Equity Fund</b>

Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters

Best: 16.14% in 1st quarter 2012
Worst: (24.61)% in 4th quarter 2008
Year-to-date: 10.35% (through 3rd quarter 2018)

<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)

Average Annual Total Returns - Large Cap Equity Fund		1 YEAR	5 YEARS	10 YEARS	INCEPTION DATE
Large Cap Equity Fund	[1]	20.49%	14.67%	7.90%	Nov. 18, 1991
Large Cap Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions	[1]	19.21%	11.92%	6.52%	Nov. 18, 1991
Large Cap Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares	[1]	12.62%	11.29%	6.15%	Nov. 18, 1991
Russell 1000® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	[1]	21.69%	15.71%	8.59%	Nov. 18, 1991
Lipper Large-Cap Core Funds Average	[1]	20.66%	14.28%	7.51%	Nov. 18, 1991

The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.

The Fund’s benchmark is the Russell 1000^® Index. The Russell 1000^® Index is composed of the 1,000 largest U.S. companies by market capitalization. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Large-Cap Core Funds Average, which is a secondary benchmark and includes funds that invest at least 75% of their equity assets in companies with market capitalizations (on a three-year weighted basis) greater than 300% of the dollar-weighted median market capitalization of the middle 1,000 securities of the S&P SuperComposite 1500^® Index.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	MORGAN STANLEY PATHWAY FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 01, 2019
Large Cap Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Large Cap Equity Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	<b>Investment objective</b>
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	Capital appreciation.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	<b>Fund fees and expenses</b>
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	January 1, 2020
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	<b>Portfolio turnover</b>
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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 29% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	29.00%
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	<b>Examples</b>
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	<b>Principal investment strategies</b>
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in the equity securities of large capitalization (or “cap”) companies or in other investments with similar economic characteristics. The Fund defines large cap companies as companies whose market capitalizations typically fall within the range of the Russell 1000® Index. The market capitalization of the companies in large-cap market indices and the Fund’s portfolio changes over time. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in the securities of foreign issuers that are not traded on a U.S. exchange or the U.S. over-the-counter market. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help Fund performance. The Fund employs a “multi-manager” strategy whereby portions of the Fund are allocated to professional money managers (each, a “Sub-adviser,” collectively, the “Sub-advisers”) who are responsible for investing the assets of the Fund.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund</b>
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s principal risks include: Market Risk, which is the risk that stock prices decline overall. Markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to real or perceived adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments in the U.S. and in other countries. Market risk may affect a single company, sector of the economy or the market as a whole. Equity Risk, which is the risk that prices of equity securities rise and fall daily due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or the equity market as a whole. Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”) Risk, which is the risk of owning shares of an ETF and generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF is designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio securities. When the Fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses. Investment Style Risk, which means large cap and/or growth stocks could fall out of favor with investors and trail the performance of other types of investments. Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well. Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by a Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform. This risk is common for all actively managed funds. Multi-Manager Risk, which is the risk that the investment styles of the Sub-advisers may not complement each other as expected by the Manager. The Fund may experience a higher portfolio turnover rate, which can increase the Fund’s transaction costs and result in more taxable short-term gains for shareholders. Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services. Sector Risk, which is the risk that the value of securities in a particular industry or sector will decline because of changing expectations for the performance of that industry or sector. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events. For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	<b>Performance</b>
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group.
Performance Additional Market Index [Text]	rr_PerformanceAdditionalMarketIndex	The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Large-Cap Core Funds Average, which is a secondary benchmark and includes funds that invest at least 75% of their equity assets in companies with market capitalizations (on a three-year weighted basis) greater than 300% of the dollar-weighted median market capitalization of the middle 1,000 securities of the S&P SuperComposite 1500<sup>®</sup> Index.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.morganstanley.com/cgcm
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>Large Cap Equity Fund</b>
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). <b>The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return.</b>
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters Best: 16.14% in 1st quarter 2012 Worst: (24.61)% in 4th quarter 2008 Year-to-date: 10.35% (through 3rd quarter 2018)
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher	rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher	In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. The Fund’s benchmark is the Russell 1000® Index. The Russell 1000® Index is composed of the 1,000 largest U.S. companies by market capitalization. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index. The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Large-Cap Core Funds Average, which is a secondary benchmark and includes funds that invest at least 75% of their equity assets in companies with market capitalizations (on a three-year weighted basis) greater than 300% of the dollar-weighted median market capitalization of the middle 1,000 securities of the S&P SuperComposite 1500® Index.
Large Cap Equity Fund | Large Cap Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	rr_MaximumAccountFeeOverAssets	2.00%	[1]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.60%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.09%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.69%
Waiver	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.21%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.48%	[1]
AFTER 1 YEAR	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 251
AFTER 3 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	815
AFTER 5 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,406
AFTER 10 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 3,007
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(41.47%)
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	38.16%
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	16.98%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	(2.53%)
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	16.98%
2013	rr_AnnualReturn2013	34.93%
2014	rr_AnnualReturn2014	10.72%
2015	rr_AnnualReturn2015	3.75%
2016	rr_AnnualReturn2016	6.19%
2017	rr_AnnualReturn2017	20.49%
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	Year-to-date:
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2018
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	10.35%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Best:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Mar. 31, 2012
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	16.14%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Worst:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(24.61%)
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	20.49%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	14.67%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	7.90%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
Large Cap Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | Large Cap Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	19.21%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	11.92%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.52%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
Large Cap Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | Large Cap Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	12.62%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	11.29%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.15%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
Large Cap Equity Fund | Russell 1000® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	21.69%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	15.71%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	8.59%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
Large Cap Equity Fund | Lipper Large-Cap Core Funds Average
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	20.66%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	14.28%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	7.51%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[2] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund

Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund

<b>Investment objective</b>

Capital appreciation.

<b>Fund fees and expenses</b>

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)

Shareholder Fees	Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	2.00%	[1]

<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses	Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund
Management Fees	0.80%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	none
Other Expenses	0.12%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.92%
Waiver	(0.31%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.61%	[1]

<b>Examples</b>

These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example	AFTER 1 YEAR	AFTER 3 YEARS	AFTER 5 YEARS	AFTER 10 YEARS
Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund | Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund | USD ($)	264	875	1,511	3,220

<b>Portfolio turnover</b>

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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 34% of the average value of its portfolio.

<b>Principal investment strategies</b>

The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in the equity securities of small-mid capitalization (or “cap”) companies or in other investments with similar economic characteristics. The Fund defines small-mid cap companies as companies with market caps not exceeding the highest month-end market cap value of any stock in the Russell 2500^® or Russell Mid Cap Index for the previous 12 months, whichever is greater. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in the securities of foreign issuers that are not traded on a U.S. exchange or the U.S. over-the-counter market. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help Fund performance.

The Fund employs a “multi-manager” strategy whereby portions of the Fund are allocated to professional money managers (each, a “Sub-adviser,” collectively, the “Sub-advisers”) who are responsible for investing the assets of the Fund.

<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund</b>

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.

The Fund’s principal risks include:

• Market Risk, which is the risk that stock prices decline overall. Markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to real or perceived adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments in the U.S. and in other countries. Market risk may affect a single company, sector of the economy or the market as a whole.
• Equity Risk, which is the risk that prices of equity securities rise and fall daily due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or the equity market as a whole.
• Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”) Risk, which is the risk of owning shares of an ETF and generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF is designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio securities. When the Fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses.
• Investment Style Risk, which means small cap and/or growth stocks could fall out of favor with investors and trail the performance of other types of investments.
• Small-Mid Cap Risk, which refers to the fact that historically, small-mid cap companies tend to be more vulnerable to adverse business and economic events, have been more sensitive to changes in earnings results and forecasts and investor expectations, and experience sharper swings in market values than larger, more established companies. At times, small-mid cap stocks may be less liquid and harder to sell at prices the Sub-advisers believe are appropriate.
• Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
• Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well.
• Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by a Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform. This risk is common for all actively managed funds.
• Multi-Manager Risk, which is the risk that the investment styles of the Sub-advisers may not complement each other as expected by the Manager. The Fund may experience a higher portfolio turnover rate, which can increase the Fund’s transaction costs and result in more taxable short-term gains for shareholders.
• Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.
• Sector Risk, which is the risk that the value of securities in a particular industry or sector will decline because of changing expectations for the performance of that industry or sector. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events.

For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.

<b>Performance</b>

The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.

<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund</b>

Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters

Best: 22.52% in 2nd quarter 2009
Worst: (29.41)% in 4th quarter 2008
Year-to-date: 9.63% (through 3rd quarter 2018)

<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)

Average Annual Total Returns - Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund		1 YEAR	5 YEARS	10 YEARS	INCEPTION DATE
Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund	[1]	19.66%	13.42%	7.29%	Nov. 18, 1991
Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions	[1]	18.46%	10.10%	5.70%	Nov. 18, 1991
Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares	[1]	11.66%	9.94%	5.52%	Nov. 18, 1991
Russell 2500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	[1]	16.81%	14.33%	9.22%	Nov. 18, 1991
Lipper Small-Cap Core Funds Average	[1]	12.62%	13.07%	8.28%	Nov. 18, 1991

The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.

The Fund’s benchmark is the Russell 2500^® Index. The Russell 2500^® Index includes the smallest 2,500 U.S. companies out of the Russell 3000^® Index universe. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Small-Cap Core Funds Average, which is a secondary benchmark and includes funds that invest at least 75% of their equity assets in companies with market capitalizations (on a three-year weighted basis) less than 250% of the dollar-weighted median of the smallest 500 of the middle 1,000 securities of the S&P SuperComposite 1500^® Index.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	MORGAN STANLEY PATHWAY FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 01, 2019
Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	<b>Investment objective</b>
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	Capital appreciation.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	<b>Fund fees and expenses</b>
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	January 1, 2020
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	<b>Portfolio turnover</b>
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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 34% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	34.00%
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	<b>Examples</b>
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	<b>Principal investment strategies</b>
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in the equity securities of small-mid capitalization (or “cap”) companies or in other investments with similar economic characteristics. The Fund defines small-mid cap companies as companies with market caps not exceeding the highest month-end market cap value of any stock in the Russell 2500® or Russell Mid Cap Index for the previous 12 months, whichever is greater. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in the securities of foreign issuers that are not traded on a U.S. exchange or the U.S. over-the-counter market. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help Fund performance. The Fund employs a “multi-manager” strategy whereby portions of the Fund are allocated to professional money managers (each, a “Sub-adviser,” collectively, the “Sub-advisers”) who are responsible for investing the assets of the Fund.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund</b>
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s principal risks include: Market Risk, which is the risk that stock prices decline overall. Markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to real or perceived adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments in the U.S. and in other countries. Market risk may affect a single company, sector of the economy or the market as a whole. Equity Risk, which is the risk that prices of equity securities rise and fall daily due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or the equity market as a whole. Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”) Risk, which is the risk of owning shares of an ETF and generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF is designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio securities. When the Fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses. Investment Style Risk, which means small cap and/or growth stocks could fall out of favor with investors and trail the performance of other types of investments. Small-Mid Cap Risk, which refers to the fact that historically, small-mid cap companies tend to be more vulnerable to adverse business and economic events, have been more sensitive to changes in earnings results and forecasts and investor expectations, and experience sharper swings in market values than larger, more established companies. At times, small-mid cap stocks may be less liquid and harder to sell at prices the Sub-advisers believe are appropriate. Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well. Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by a Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform. This risk is common for all actively managed funds. Multi-Manager Risk, which is the risk that the investment styles of the Sub-advisers may not complement each other as expected by the Manager. The Fund may experience a higher portfolio turnover rate, which can increase the Fund’s transaction costs and result in more taxable short-term gains for shareholders. Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services. Sector Risk, which is the risk that the value of securities in a particular industry or sector will decline because of changing expectations for the performance of that industry or sector. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events. For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	<b>Performance</b>
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group.
Performance Additional Market Index [Text]	rr_PerformanceAdditionalMarketIndex	The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Small-Cap Core Funds Average, which is a secondary benchmark and includes funds that invest at least 75% of their equity assets in companies with market capitalizations (on a three-year weighted basis) less than 250% of the dollar-weighted median of the smallest 500 of the middle 1,000 securities of the S&P SuperComposite 1500<sup>®</sup> Index.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.morganstanley.com/cgcm
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund</b>
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). <b>The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return.</b>
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters Best: 22.52% in 2nd quarter 2009 Worst: (29.41)% in 4th quarter 2008 Year-to-date: 9.63% (through 3rd quarter 2018)
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher	rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher	In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. The Fund’s benchmark is the Russell 2500® Index. The Russell 2500® Index includes the smallest 2,500 U.S. companies out of the Russell 3000® Index universe. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index. The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Small-Cap Core Funds Average, which is a secondary benchmark and includes funds that invest at least 75% of their equity assets in companies with market capitalizations (on a three-year weighted basis) less than 250% of the dollar-weighted median of the smallest 500 of the middle 1,000 securities of the S&P SuperComposite 1500® Index.
Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund | Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	rr_MaximumAccountFeeOverAssets	2.00%	[1]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.80%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.12%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.92%
Waiver	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.31%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.61%	[1]
AFTER 1 YEAR	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 264
AFTER 3 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	875
AFTER 5 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,511
AFTER 10 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 3,220
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(43.11%)
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	40.90%
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	30.84%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	(7.26%)
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	10.69%
2013	rr_AnnualReturn2013	48.54%
2014	rr_AnnualReturn2014	4.74%
2015	rr_AnnualReturn2015	(3.92%)
2016	rr_AnnualReturn2016	4.92%
2017	rr_AnnualReturn2017	19.66%
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	Year-to-date:
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2018
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	9.63%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Best:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	22.52%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Worst:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(29.41%)
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	19.66%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	13.42%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	7.29%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	18.46%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	10.10%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.70%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	11.66%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	9.94%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.52%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund | Russell 2500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	16.81%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	14.33%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	9.22%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund | Lipper Small-Cap Core Funds Average
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	12.62%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	13.07%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	8.28%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[2] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

International Equity Fund

International Equity Fund

<b>Investment objective</b>

Capital appreciation.

<b>Fund Fees and Expenses</b>

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)

Shareholder Fees	International Equity Fund International Equity Fund
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA, or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of average prior quarter-end net assets)	2.00%	[1]

<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses	International Equity Fund International Equity Fund
Management Fees	0.70%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	none
Other Expenses	0.13%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.83%
Waiver	(0.17%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.66%	[1]

<b>Examples</b>

These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example	AFTER 1 YEAR	AFTER 3 YEARS	AFTER 5 YEARS	AFTER 10 YEARS
International Equity Fund | International Equity Fund | USD ($)	269	861	1,479	3,145

<b>Portfolio turnover</b>

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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 41% of the average value of its portfolio.

<b>Principal investment strategies</b>

The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in the equity securities of companies located outside the U.S. The Fund focuses on companies located in developed markets, but also may invest a portion of its assets in securities of companies located in emerging markets. The Fund intends to diversify its assets by investing primarily in securities of issuers located in at least three foreign countries. The Fund may attempt to hedge against unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates by engaging in forward currency transactions or currency swaps and trading currency futures contracts and options on these futures. However, a Sub-adviser may choose not to, or may be unable to, hedge the Fund’s currency exposure. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help Fund performance.

The Fund employs a “multi-manager” strategy whereby portions of the Fund are allocated to professional money managers (each, a “Sub-adviser,” collectively, the “Sub-advisers”) who are responsible for investing the assets of the Fund.

<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund</b>

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.

The Fund’s principal risks include:

• Market Risk, which is the risk that stock prices decline overall. Markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to real or perceived adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments in the U.S. and in other countries. Market risk may affect a single company, sector of the economy or the market as a whole.
• Equity Risk, which is the risk that prices of equity securities rise and fall daily due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or the equity market as a whole.
• Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
• Currency Risk, which refers to the risk that as a result of the Fund’s investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged.
• Forwards, Futures, Options and Swaps Risk, which means that the Fund’s use of forwards, futures, options and swaps to enhance returns or hedge against market declines subjects the Fund to potentially greater volatility and/or losses. Even a small investment in forwards, futures, options or swaps can have a large impact on the Fund’s interest rate, securities market and currency exposure. Therefore, using forwards, futures, options or swaps can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when interest rates, stock prices or currency rates are changing. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on its investment in forwards, futures, options or swaps if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings. Investing in forwards, futures, options or swaps can also make the Fund’s assets less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets. The Fund may hold illiquid securities that may be difficult to sell and may be required to be fair valued.
• Emerging Markets Risk, emerging markets countries, which are generally defined as countries that may be represented in a market index such as the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net) or having per capita income in the low to middle ranges, as determined by the World Bank. In addition to foreign investment and currency risks, emerging markets may experience rising interest rates, or, more significantly, rapid inflation or hyperinflation. Emerging market securities may present market, credit, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign countries. The Fund also could experience a loss from settlement and custody practices in some emerging markets.
• Small and Mid Cap Risk, which refers to the fact that historically, small and mid cap stocks tend to be more vulnerable to adverse business and economic events, more sensitive to changes in earnings results and forecasts and investor expectations and will experience sharper swings in market values than larger, more established companies. At times, small and mid cap stocks may be less liquid and harder to sell at prices the Sub-advisers believe are appropriate.
• Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well.
• Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by a Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform. This risk is common for all actively managed funds.
• Multi-Manager Risk, which is the risk that the investment styles of the Sub-advisers may not complement each other as expected by the Manager. The Fund may experience a higher portfolio turnover rate, which can increase the Fund’s transaction costs and result in more taxable short-term gains for shareholders.
• Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.
• Sector Risk, which is the risk that the value of securities in a particular industry or sector will decline because of changing expectations for the performance of that industry or sector. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events.

For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.

<b>Performance</b>

The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.

<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>International Equity Fund</b>

Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters

Best: 25.95% in 2nd quarter 2009
Worst: (23.14)% in 4th quarter 2008
Year-to-date: (2.16)% (through 3rd quarter 2018)

<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)

Average Annual Total Returns - International Equity Fund		1 YEAR	5 YEARS	10 YEARS	INCEPTION DATE
International Equity Fund	[1]	27.15%	6.46%	1.57%	Nov. 18, 1991
International Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions	[1]	26.80%	6.13%	1.06%	Nov. 18, 1991
International Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares	[1]	15.91%	5.12%	1.15%	Nov. 18, 1991
MSCI EAFE® Index (Net) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	[1]	25.03%	7.90%	1.94%	Nov. 18, 1991
Lipper International Large-Cap Core Funds Average	[1]	24.93%	6.97%	2.06%	Nov. 18, 1991

The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.

The Fund’s benchmark is the MSCI EAFE^® Index (Net) (“MSCI EAFE^® Index”). The Benchmark is a composite portfolio of equity total returns for developed countries in Europe and the Far East and Australia and New Zealand. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper International Large-Cap Core Funds Average. The Lipper International Large-Cap Core Funds Average is composed of funds that, by fund practice, invest at least 75% of their equity assets in companies strictly outside of the U.S., with market capitalizations (on a three-year weighted basis) greater than the 250th largest companies in the S&P/Citigroup World ex-U.S. Broad Market^® Index (“BMI^®”). Large cap core securities typically have an average price-to-cash ratio, price-to-book ratio, and three year sales-per-year growth value, compared to S&P/Citigroup World ex-U.S. BMI^®.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	MORGAN STANLEY PATHWAY FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 01, 2019
International Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	International Equity Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	<b>Investment objective</b>
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	Capital appreciation.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	<b>Fund Fees and Expenses</b>
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	January 1, 2020
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	<b>Portfolio turnover</b>
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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 41% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	41.00%
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	<b>Examples</b>
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	<b>Principal investment strategies</b>
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in the equity securities of companies located outside the U.S. The Fund focuses on companies located in developed markets, but also may invest a portion of its assets in securities of companies located in emerging markets. The Fund intends to diversify its assets by investing primarily in securities of issuers located in at least three foreign countries. The Fund may attempt to hedge against unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates by engaging in forward currency transactions or currency swaps and trading currency futures contracts and options on these futures. However, a Sub-adviser may choose not to, or may be unable to, hedge the Fund’s currency exposure. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help Fund performance. The Fund employs a “multi-manager” strategy whereby portions of the Fund are allocated to professional money managers (each, a “Sub-adviser,” collectively, the “Sub-advisers”) who are responsible for investing the assets of the Fund.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund</b>
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s principal risks include: Market Risk, which is the risk that stock prices decline overall. Markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to real or perceived adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments in the U.S. and in other countries. Market risk may affect a single company, sector of the economy or the market as a whole. Equity Risk, which is the risk that prices of equity securities rise and fall daily due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or the equity market as a whole. Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. Currency Risk, which refers to the risk that as a result of the Fund’s investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. Forwards, Futures, Options and Swaps Risk, which means that the Fund’s use of forwards, futures, options and swaps to enhance returns or hedge against market declines subjects the Fund to potentially greater volatility and/or losses. Even a small investment in forwards, futures, options or swaps can have a large impact on the Fund’s interest rate, securities market and currency exposure. Therefore, using forwards, futures, options or swaps can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when interest rates, stock prices or currency rates are changing. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on its investment in forwards, futures, options or swaps if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings. Investing in forwards, futures, options or swaps can also make the Fund’s assets less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets. The Fund may hold illiquid securities that may be difficult to sell and may be required to be fair valued. Emerging Markets Risk, emerging markets countries, which are generally defined as countries that may be represented in a market index such as the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net) or having per capita income in the low to middle ranges, as determined by the World Bank. In addition to foreign investment and currency risks, emerging markets may experience rising interest rates, or, more significantly, rapid inflation or hyperinflation. Emerging market securities may present market, credit, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign countries. The Fund also could experience a loss from settlement and custody practices in some emerging markets. Small and Mid Cap Risk, which refers to the fact that historically, small and mid cap stocks tend to be more vulnerable to adverse business and economic events, more sensitive to changes in earnings results and forecasts and investor expectations and will experience sharper swings in market values than larger, more established companies. At times, small and mid cap stocks may be less liquid and harder to sell at prices the Sub-advisers believe are appropriate. Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well. Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by a Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform. This risk is common for all actively managed funds. Multi-Manager Risk, which is the risk that the investment styles of the Sub-advisers may not complement each other as expected by the Manager. The Fund may experience a higher portfolio turnover rate, which can increase the Fund’s transaction costs and result in more taxable short-term gains for shareholders. Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services. Sector Risk, which is the risk that the value of securities in a particular industry or sector will decline because of changing expectations for the performance of that industry or sector. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events. For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	<b>Performance</b>
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group.
Performance Additional Market Index [Text]	rr_PerformanceAdditionalMarketIndex	The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper International Large-Cap Core Funds Average. The Lipper International Large-Cap Core Funds Average is composed of funds that, by fund practice, invest at least 75% of their equity assets in companies strictly outside of the U.S., with market capitalizations (on a three-year weighted basis) greater than the 250th largest companies in the S&P/Citigroup World ex-U.S. Broad Market<sup>®</sup> Index (“BMI<sup>®</sup>”). Large cap core securities typically have an average price-to-cash ratio, price-to-book ratio, and three year sales-per-year growth value, compared to S&P/Citigroup World ex-U.S. BMI<sup>®</sup>.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.morganstanley.com/cgcm
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>International Equity Fund</b>
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). <b>The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return.</b>
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters Best: 25.95% in 2nd quarter 2009 Worst: (23.14)% in 4th quarter 2008 Year-to-date: (2.16)% (through 3rd quarter 2018)
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher	rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher	In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. The Fund’s benchmark is the MSCI EAFE® Index (Net) (“MSCI EAFE® Index”). The Benchmark is a composite portfolio of equity total returns for developed countries in Europe and the Far East and Australia and New Zealand. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index. The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper International Large-Cap Core Funds Average. The Lipper International Large-Cap Core Funds Average is composed of funds that, by fund practice, invest at least 75% of their equity assets in companies strictly outside of the U.S., with market capitalizations (on a three-year weighted basis) greater than the 250th largest companies in the S&P/Citigroup World ex-U.S. Broad Market® Index (“BMI®”). Large cap core securities typically have an average price-to-cash ratio, price-to-book ratio, and three year sales-per-year growth value, compared to S&P/Citigroup World ex-U.S. BMI®.
International Equity Fund | International Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA, or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of average prior quarter-end net assets)	rr_MaximumAccountFeeOverAssets	2.00%	[1]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.70%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.13%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.83%
Waiver	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.17%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.66%	[1]
AFTER 1 YEAR	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 269
AFTER 3 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	861
AFTER 5 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,479
AFTER 10 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 3,145
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(46.15%)
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	38.96%
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	12.49%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	(13.60%)
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	17.46%
2013	rr_AnnualReturn2013	18.31%
2014	rr_AnnualReturn2014	(8.26%)
2015	rr_AnnualReturn2015	(0.52%)
2016	rr_AnnualReturn2016	(0.36%)
2017	rr_AnnualReturn2017	27.15%
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	Year-to-date:
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2018
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	(2.16%)
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Best:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	25.95%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Worst:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(23.14%)
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	27.15%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	6.46%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	1.57%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
International Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | International Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	26.80%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	6.13%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	1.06%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
International Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | International Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	15.91%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.12%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	1.15%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
International Equity Fund | MSCI EAFE® Index (Net) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	25.03%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.90%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	1.94%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
International Equity Fund | Lipper International Large-Cap Core Funds Average
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	24.93%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	6.97%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.06%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[2] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Emerging Markets Equity Fund

Emerging Markets Equity Fund

<b>Investment objective</b>

Long-term capital appreciation.

<b>Fund Fees and Expenses</b>

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)

Shareholder Fees	Emerging Markets Equity Fund Emerging Markets Equity Fund
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA, or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of average prior quarter-end net assets)	2.00%	[1]

<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses	Emerging Markets Equity Fund Emerging Markets Equity Fund
Management Fees	0.90%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	none
Other Expenses	0.21%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	1.11%
Waiver	(0.31%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.80%	[1]

<b>Examples</b>

These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example	AFTER 1 YEAR	AFTER 3 YEARS	AFTER 5 YEARS	AFTER 10 YEARS
Emerging Markets Equity Fund | Emerging Markets Equity Fund | USD ($)	283	931	1,603	3,399

<b>Portfolio turnover</b>

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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 24% of the average value of its portfolio.

<b>Principal investment strategies</b>

The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in equity securities of issuers organized, domiciled or with substantial operations in emerging markets countries, which are defined as countries included in an emerging markets index by a recognized index provider, such as the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net), or characterized as developing or emerging by any of the World Bank, the United Nations, the International Finance Corporation, or the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Certain emerging market countries may also be classified as “frontier” market countries, which are a subset of emerging countries with even smaller national economies. To diversify its investments, the Fund invests primarily in securities of issuers located in at least three foreign countries. The Fund also may invest a portion of its assets in closed-end investment companies that invest in emerging markets. The Fund may attempt to hedge against unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates by engaging in forward currency transactions and trading currency futures contracts and options on these futures; however, a Sub-adviser may choose not to, or may be unable to, hedge the Fund’s currency exposure. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help Fund performance.

The Fund employs a “multi-manager” strategy whereby portions of the Fund are allocated to professional money managers (each, a “Sub-adviser,” collectively, the “Sub-advisers”) who are responsible for investing the assets of the Fund.

<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund</b>

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.

The Fund’s principal risks include:

• Market Risk, which is the risk that stock prices decline overall. Markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to real or perceived adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments in the U.S. and in other countries. Market risk may affect a single company, sector of the economy or the market as a whole.
• Equity Risk, which is the risk that prices of equity securities rise and fall daily due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or the equity market as a whole.
• Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
• Emerging Markets and Frontier Markets Risk, emerging markets countries, which are generally defined as countries that may be represented in a market index such as the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net) or having per capita income in the low to middle ranges, as determined by the World Bank. Certain emerging market countries may also be classified as “frontier” market countries, which are a subset of emerging countries with even smaller national economies. In addition to foreign investment and currency risks, emerging markets may experience rising interest rates, or, more significantly, rapid inflation or hyperinflation. Emerging market securities may present market, credit, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign countries. The Fund also could experience a loss from settlement and custody practices in some emerging markets. These risks tend to be even more prevalent in frontier market countries. The economies of frontier market countries tend to be less correlated to global economic cycles than the economies of more developed countries and their markets have lower trading volumes and may exhibit greater price volatility and illiquidity. A small number of large investments in these markets may affect these markets more than more developed markets. Frontier market countries may also be more affected by government activities than more developed countries. For example, the governments of frontier market countries may exercise substantial influence within the private sector or subject investments to government approval, and governments of other countries may impose or negotiate trade barriers, exchange controls, adjustments to relative currency values and other measures that adversely affect a frontier market country. Governments of other countries may also impose sanctions or embargoes on frontier market countries. Although all of these risks are generally heightened with respect to frontier market countries, they also apply to emerging market countries.
• Currency Risk, which refers to the risk that as a result of the Fund’s investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged.
• Futures and Options Risk, which means that the Fund’s use of futures and options to enhance returns or hedge against market declines subjects the Fund to potentially greater volatility and/or losses. Even a small investment in futures or options can have a large impact on the currency exposure. Therefore, using futures or options can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when currency rates are changing. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on its investment in futures or options if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings. Investing in futures or options can also make the Fund’s assets less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets. The Fund may hold illiquid securities that may be difficult to sell and may be required to be fair valued.
• Closed-End Investment Company Risk, which means that since closed-end investment companies issue a fixed number of shares they typically trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or discount to their net asset value per share. The Fund will also bear its pro rata portion of any costs of a closed-end fund in which it invests.
• Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well.
• Strategy Risk, the Fund invests a portion of its assets in stocks believed by a Sub-adviser to be undervalued, but that may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value.  The Fund also invests a portion of its assets in stocks believed by a Sub-adviser to have the potential for growth, but that may not realize such perceived growth potential for extended periods of time or may never realize such perceived growth potential.  Such stocks may be more volatile than other stocks because they can be more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth potential.  The stocks in which the Fund invests may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of stocks.
• Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by a Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform. This risk is common for all actively managed funds.
• Multi-Manager Risk, which is the risk that the investment styles of the Sub-advisers may not complement each other as expected by the Manager. The Fund may experience a higher portfolio turnover rate, which can increase the Fund’s transaction costs and result in more taxable short-term gains for shareholders.
• Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.
• Sector Risk, which is the risk that the value of securities in a particular industry or sector will decline because of changing expectations for the performance of that industry or sector. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events.

For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.

<b>Performance</b>

The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.

<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>Emerging Markets Equity Fund</b>

Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters

Best: 32.91% in 2nd quarter 2009
Worst: (29.43)% in 3rd quarter 2008
Year-to-date: (12.82)% (through 3rd quarter 2018)

<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)

Average Annual Total Returns - Emerging Markets Equity Fund		1 YEAR	5 YEARS	10 YEARS	INCEPTION DATE
Emerging Markets Equity Fund	[1]	39.16%	4.01%	0.73%	Apr. 21, 1994
Emerging Markets Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions	[1]	38.96%	3.34%	0.23%	Apr. 21, 1994
Emerging Markets Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares	[1]	22.71%	3.11%	0.57%	Apr. 21, 1994
MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	[1]	37.28%	4.35%	1.68%	Apr. 21, 1994
Lipper Emerging Markets Funds Average	[1]	34.46%	4.27%	1.49%	Apr. 21, 1994

The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.

The Fund’s benchmark is the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net). The benchmark is composed of equity total returns of countries with low to middle per capita incomes, as determined by the World Bank. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Emerging Markets Funds Average. The Lipper Emerging Markets Funds Average is composed of funds that, by fund practice, seek long-term capital appreciation by investing at least 65% of their total assets in emerging market equity securities, where “emerging market” is defined by a country’s gross national product per capita or other economic measures.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	MORGAN STANLEY PATHWAY FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 01, 2019
Emerging Markets Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Emerging Markets Equity Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	<b>Investment objective</b>
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	Long-term capital appreciation.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	<b>Fund Fees and Expenses</b>
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	January 1, 2020
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	<b>Portfolio turnover</b>
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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 24% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	24.00%
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	<b>Examples</b>
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	<b>Principal investment strategies</b>
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in equity securities of issuers organized, domiciled or with substantial operations in emerging markets countries, which are defined as countries included in an emerging markets index by a recognized index provider, such as the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net), or characterized as developing or emerging by any of the World Bank, the United Nations, the International Finance Corporation, or the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Certain emerging market countries may also be classified as “frontier” market countries, which are a subset of emerging countries with even smaller national economies. To diversify its investments, the Fund invests primarily in securities of issuers located in at least three foreign countries. The Fund also may invest a portion of its assets in closed-end investment companies that invest in emerging markets. The Fund may attempt to hedge against unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates by engaging in forward currency transactions and trading currency futures contracts and options on these futures; however, a Sub-adviser may choose not to, or may be unable to, hedge the Fund’s currency exposure. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help Fund performance. The Fund employs a “multi-manager” strategy whereby portions of the Fund are allocated to professional money managers (each, a “Sub-adviser,” collectively, the “Sub-advisers”) who are responsible for investing the assets of the Fund.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund</b>
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s principal risks include: Market Risk, which is the risk that stock prices decline overall. Markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to real or perceived adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments in the U.S. and in other countries. Market risk may affect a single company, sector of the economy or the market as a whole. Equity Risk, which is the risk that prices of equity securities rise and fall daily due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or the equity market as a whole. Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. Emerging Markets and Frontier Markets Risk, emerging markets countries, which are generally defined as countries that may be represented in a market index such as the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net) or having per capita income in the low to middle ranges, as determined by the World Bank. Certain emerging market countries may also be classified as “frontier” market countries, which are a subset of emerging countries with even smaller national economies. In addition to foreign investment and currency risks, emerging markets may experience rising interest rates, or, more significantly, rapid inflation or hyperinflation. Emerging market securities may present market, credit, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign countries. The Fund also could experience a loss from settlement and custody practices in some emerging markets. These risks tend to be even more prevalent in frontier market countries. The economies of frontier market countries tend to be less correlated to global economic cycles than the economies of more developed countries and their markets have lower trading volumes and may exhibit greater price volatility and illiquidity. A small number of large investments in these markets may affect these markets more than more developed markets. Frontier market countries may also be more affected by government activities than more developed countries. For example, the governments of frontier market countries may exercise substantial influence within the private sector or subject investments to government approval, and governments of other countries may impose or negotiate trade barriers, exchange controls, adjustments to relative currency values and other measures that adversely affect a frontier market country. Governments of other countries may also impose sanctions or embargoes on frontier market countries. Although all of these risks are generally heightened with respect to frontier market countries, they also apply to emerging market countries. Currency Risk, which refers to the risk that as a result of the Fund’s investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. Futures and Options Risk, which means that the Fund’s use of futures and options to enhance returns or hedge against market declines subjects the Fund to potentially greater volatility and/or losses. Even a small investment in futures or options can have a large impact on the currency exposure. Therefore, using futures or options can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when currency rates are changing. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on its investment in futures or options if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings. Investing in futures or options can also make the Fund’s assets less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets. The Fund may hold illiquid securities that may be difficult to sell and may be required to be fair valued. Closed-End Investment Company Risk, which means that since closed-end investment companies issue a fixed number of shares they typically trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or discount to their net asset value per share. The Fund will also bear its pro rata portion of any costs of a closed-end fund in which it invests. Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well. Strategy Risk, the Fund invests a portion of its assets in stocks believed by a Sub-adviser to be undervalued, but that may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value.  The Fund also invests a portion of its assets in stocks believed by a Sub-adviser to have the potential for growth, but that may not realize such perceived growth potential for extended periods of time or may never realize such perceived growth potential.  Such stocks may be more volatile than other stocks because they can be more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth potential.  The stocks in which the Fund invests may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of stocks. Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by a Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform. This risk is common for all actively managed funds. Multi-Manager Risk, which is the risk that the investment styles of the Sub-advisers may not complement each other as expected by the Manager. The Fund may experience a higher portfolio turnover rate, which can increase the Fund’s transaction costs and result in more taxable short-term gains for shareholders. Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services. Sector Risk, which is the risk that the value of securities in a particular industry or sector will decline because of changing expectations for the performance of that industry or sector. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events. For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	<b>Performance</b>
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group.
Performance Additional Market Index [Text]	rr_PerformanceAdditionalMarketIndex	The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Emerging Markets Funds Average. The Lipper Emerging Markets Funds Average is composed of funds that, by fund practice, seek long-term capital appreciation by investing at least 65% of their total assets in emerging market equity securities, where “emerging market” is defined by a country’s gross national product per capita or other economic measures.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.morganstanley.com/cgcm
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>Emerging Markets Equity Fund</b>
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). <b>The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return.</b>
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters Best: 32.91% in 2nd quarter 2009 Worst: (29.43)% in 3rd quarter 2008 Year-to-date: (12.82)% (through 3rd quarter 2018)
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher	rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher	In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. The Fund’s benchmark is the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net). The benchmark is composed of equity total returns of countries with low to middle per capita incomes, as determined by the World Bank. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index. The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Emerging Markets Funds Average. The Lipper Emerging Markets Funds Average is composed of funds that, by fund practice, seek long-term capital appreciation by investing at least 65% of their total assets in emerging market equity securities, where “emerging market” is defined by a country’s gross national product per capita or other economic measures.
Emerging Markets Equity Fund | Emerging Markets Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA, or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of average prior quarter-end net assets)	rr_MaximumAccountFeeOverAssets	2.00%	[1]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.90%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.21%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.11%
Waiver	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.31%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.80%	[1]
AFTER 1 YEAR	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 283
AFTER 3 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	931
AFTER 5 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,603
AFTER 10 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 3,399
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(55.05%)
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	71.59%
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	19.43%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	(19.82%)
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	19.60%
2013	rr_AnnualReturn2013	(6.34%)
2014	rr_AnnualReturn2014	(3.54%)
2015	rr_AnnualReturn2015	(14.40%)
2016	rr_AnnualReturn2016	13.07%
2017	rr_AnnualReturn2017	39.16%
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	Year-to-date:
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2018
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	(12.82%)
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Best:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	32.91%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Worst:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(29.43%)
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	39.16%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.01%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	0.73%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Apr. 21, 1994	[2]
Emerging Markets Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | Emerging Markets Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	38.96%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	3.34%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	0.23%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Apr. 21, 1994	[2]
Emerging Markets Equity Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | Emerging Markets Equity Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	22.71%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	3.11%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	0.57%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Apr. 21, 1994	[2]
Emerging Markets Equity Fund | MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	37.28%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.35%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	1.68%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Apr. 21, 1994	[2]
Emerging Markets Equity Fund | Lipper Emerging Markets Funds Average
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	34.46%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.27%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	1.49%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Apr. 21, 1994	[2]

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[2] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Core Fixed Income Fund

Core Fixed Income Fund

<b>Investment objective </b>

Maximum total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management.

<b>Fund fees and expenses </b>

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)

Shareholder Fees	Core Fixed Income Fund Core Fixed Income Fund
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	2.00%	[1]

<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses	Core Fixed Income Fund Core Fixed Income Fund
Management Fees	0.40%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	none
Other Expenses	0.17%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.57%
Waiver	(0.01%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.56%	[1]

<b>Examples</b>

These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example	AFTER 1 YEAR	AFTER 3 YEARS	AFTER 5 YEARS	AFTER 10 YEARS
Core Fixed Income Fund | Core Fixed Income Fund | USD ($)	259	799	1,364	2,904

<b>Portfolio turnover </b>

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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 253% of the average value of its portfolio.

<b>Principal investment strategies </b>

The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in fixed income securities. Fixed income instruments include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises (note that securities issued by U.S. Government agencies or government-sponsored enterprises may not be guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury); corporate debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including convertible securities and corporate commercial paper; mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities; inflation-indexed bonds issued both by governments and corporations; structured notes, including hybrid or “indexed” securities and event-linked bonds; loan participations and assignments; delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities; bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances; repurchase agreements on fixed income instruments and reverse repurchase agreements on fixed income instruments; debt securities issued by states or local governments and their agencies, authorities and other government-sponsored enterprises; obligations of non-U.S. governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; and obligations of international agencies or supranational entities.

The Fund may also invest in derivatives based on fixed income instruments, including futures, forwards, options, swaps, and swaptions, and may use other investment techniques such as mortgage dollar rolls, buy-backs and securities lending to earn additional income. The Fund also may engage in short sales. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to gain exposure to a particular portion of the market while allocating assets among Sub-advisers, transitioning the Fund’s portfolio or awaiting an opportunity to purchase securities directly.

Investments may be structured to provide all types of interest rate payments, including fixed, variable, floating, inverse, zero or interest-only rates of interest. The Fund may invest up to 30% of its total assets in securities denominated in foreign currencies, and may invest beyond this limit in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. The Fund may invest in currency spot and forward transactions for the purpose of active currency exposure. Foreign currency exposure (from non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities or currencies) normally will be limited to 20% of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund may invest up to 15% in emerging market securities. The Fund may also invest up to 10% of its total assets in preferred stocks, convertible securities and other equity-related securities. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help fund performance.

Credit quality. The Fund invests primarily in investment grade debt securities, but may invest up to 10% of its total assets in non-investment grade securities (sometimes called “high yield securities” or “junk bonds”) rated CCC- or higher by Moody’s, or equivalently rated by S&P or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by the Sub-advisers to be of comparable quality.

Duration. The Fund’s average portfolio duration, as calculated by the Sub-advisers, normally ranges within two years (plus or minus) of the duration of the benchmark index. Duration is an approximate measure of the sensitivity of the market value of the Fund’s holdings to changes in interest rates. Maturity means the date on which the principal amount of a debt security is due and payable. Individual investments may be of any maturity.

The Fund employs a “multi-manager” strategy whereby portions of the Fund are allocated to professional money managers (each, a “Sub-adviser,” collectively, the “Sub-advisers”) who are responsible for investing the assets of the Fund.

<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund </b>

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.

The Fund’s principal risks include:

• Market Risk, which is the risk that the Fund will be affected by broad changes in the fixed income markets.  The prices of the Fund’s fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to perceptions about the creditworthiness of individual issuers, including governments and their agencies. Generally, the Fund’s fixed income securities will decrease in value if interest rates rise and vice versa. Declines in dealer market-making capacity as a result of structural or regulatory changes could decrease liquidity and/or increase volatility in the fixed income markets. In the case of foreign securities, price fluctuations will reflect international economic and political events, as well as changes in currency valuations relative to the U.S. dollar. In response to these events, the Fund’s value may fluctuate and/or the Fund may experience increased redemptions from shareholders, which may impact the Fund’s liquidity or force the Fund to sell securities into a declining or illiquid market.
• Interest Rate Risk, which is the risk that interest rates rise and fall over time. When interest rates are low, the Fund’s yield and total return also may be low. When interest rates rise, bond prices generally fall, which might cause the Fund’s share price to fall. When the Fund holds variable or floating rate securities, a decrease (or, in the case of inverse floating rate securities, an increase) in market interest rates will adversely affect the income received from such securities and the net asset value of the Fund’s shares.
• Credit and Junk Bond Risk, which means the credit quality of an investment could cause the Fund to lose money. Non-investment grade securities (sometimes called “high yield securities” or “junk bonds”) involve greater risks of default or downgrade, are more volatile and may be more susceptible than other issuers to economic downturns. Such securities are subject to the risk that the issuer may not be able to pay interest or dividends and ultimately to repay principal upon maturity, which could substantially adversely affect the market value of the securities.
• Prepayment and Extension Risks, which means a debt obligation may be paid off earlier or later than expected. Either situation could cause the Fund to hold securities paying lower-than-market rates of interest, which could hurt the Fund’s yield or share price.
• Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk, exists when the Fund invests in mortgage-backed securities, which represent an interest in a pool of mortgages. Mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment and extension risk as well as the risk that underlying borrowers will be unable to meet their obligations.
• Asset-Backed Securities Risk, exists when the Fund invests in asset-backed securities which are structured like mortgage-backed securities, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include such items as motor vehicle installment sales or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from credit card agreements. Asset-backed securities are subject to many of the same risks as mortgage-backed securities including prepayment and extension risk. The ability of an issuer of asset-backed securities to enforce its security interest in the underlying assets may be limited.
• Portfolio Turnover Risk, which is the risk that due to its investment strategy, the Fund may buy and sell securities frequently. This may result in higher transaction costs and additional capital gains tax liabilities.
• Liquidity Risk, exists when securities are difficult or impossible for the Fund to sell at the time and the price that the Fund would like due to a limited market or to legal restrictions. These securities may also need to be fair valued.
• Derivatives Risk, which means that the Fund’s use of futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions based on fixed income instruments to enhance returns or hedge against market declines subjects the Fund to potentially greater volatility and/or losses. Even a small investment in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can have a large impact on the Fund’s interest rate, securities market and currency exposure. Therefore, using futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when interest rates, stock prices or currency rates are changing. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on its investment in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings. The other party to certain futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions presents the same types of credit risks as issuers of fixed income securities. Investing in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can also make the Fund’s assets less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets.
• Leverage Risk, which means the Fund’s use of leverage may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to maintain asset coverage.
• Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
• Emerging Markets Risk, emerging markets countries, which are generally defined as countries that may be represented in a market index such as the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net) or having per capita income in the low to middle ranges, as determined by the World Bank. In addition to foreign investment and currency risks, emerging markets may experience rising interest rates, or, more significantly, rapid inflation or hyperinflation. Emerging market securities may present market, credit, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign countries. The Fund also could experience a loss from settlement and custody practices in some emerging markets.
• Currency Risk, which refers to the risk that as a result of the Fund’s active positions in currencies and investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged.
• Short Sale Risk, selling short may produce higher than normal portfolio turnover, result in increased transaction costs and magnify the potential for both gain and loss to the Fund. In addition, because the Fund’s loss on a short sale arises from increases in the value of the security sold short, such loss is theoretically unlimited. By contrast, the Fund’s loss on a long position arises from decreases in the value of the security and is limited by the fact that a security’s value cannot drop below zero.
• Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well.
• Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities Risk, the Fund’s investments in delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities may have the effect of requiring the Fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when it might not otherwise decide to do so. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities are subject to credit, interest rate and liquidity risk and the risks of being a lender.
• Event-Linked Exposure Risk, event-linked exposure results in gains or losses that typically are contingent, or formulaically related to defined trigger events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, weather-related phenomena, or statistics relating to such events. If a trigger event occurs, a Fund may lose a portion of or the entire principal investment in the case of a bond or a portion of or the entire notional amount in the case of a swap. Event-linked exposure instruments often provide for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred, such extension of maturity may increase volatility. Event-linked exposure may also expose a Fund to liquidity risk and certain unanticipated risks including credit risk, counterparty risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences.
• Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by a Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform. This risk is common for all actively managed funds.
• Multi-Manager Risk, which is the risk that the investment styles of the Sub-advisers may not complement each other as expected by the Manager. The Fund may experience a higher portfolio turnover rate, which can increase the Fund’s transaction costs and result in more taxable short-term gains for shareholders.
• Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.
• Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”) Risk, which is the risk of owning shares of an ETF and generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF is designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio securities. When the Fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses.

For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.

<b>Performance </b>

The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.

<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>Core Fixed Income Fund</b>

Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters

Best: 7.00% in 3rd quarter 2009
Worst: (2.80)% in 4th quarter 2016
Year-to-date: (1.75)% (through 3rd quarter 2018)

<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)

Average Annual Total Returns - Core Fixed Income Fund		1 YEAR	5 YEARS	10 YEARS	INCEPTION DATE
Core Fixed Income Fund	[1]	3.90%	2.19%	4.69%	Nov. 18, 1991
Core Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions	[1]	2.80%	0.84%	2.93%	Nov. 18, 1991
Core Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares	[1]	2.15%	1.07%	2.97%	Nov. 18, 1991
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond™ Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	[1]	3.54%	2.10%	4.10%	Nov. 18, 1991
Lipper Core Bond Funds Average	[1]	3.60%	1.95%	3.84%	Nov. 18, 1991

The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.

The Fund’s benchmark is the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond^TM Index. The benchmark is composed of debt securities of the U.S. government and its agencies and publicly issued, fixed rate, non-convertible, investment-grade domestic corporate debt with at least one year remaining to maturity. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Core Bond Funds Average. The Lipper Core Bond Funds Average is composed of funds that, by fund practice, invest primarily in investment-grade debt issues rated in the top four grades by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, with dollar-weighted average maturities of one to five years.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	MORGAN STANLEY PATHWAY FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 01, 2019
Core Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Core Fixed Income Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	<b>Investment objective </b>
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	Maximum total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	<b>Fund fees and expenses </b>
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	January 1, 2020
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	<b>Portfolio turnover </b>
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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 253% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	253.00%
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	<b>Examples</b>
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	<b>Principal investment strategies </b>
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in fixed income securities. Fixed income instruments include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises (note that securities issued by U.S. Government agencies or government-sponsored enterprises may not be guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury); corporate debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including convertible securities and corporate commercial paper; mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities; inflation-indexed bonds issued both by governments and corporations; structured notes, including hybrid or “indexed” securities and event-linked bonds; loan participations and assignments; delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities; bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances; repurchase agreements on fixed income instruments and reverse repurchase agreements on fixed income instruments; debt securities issued by states or local governments and their agencies, authorities and other government-sponsored enterprises; obligations of non-U.S. governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; and obligations of international agencies or supranational entities. The Fund may also invest in derivatives based on fixed income instruments, including futures, forwards, options, swaps, and swaptions, and may use other investment techniques such as mortgage dollar rolls, buy-backs and securities lending to earn additional income. The Fund also may engage in short sales. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to gain exposure to a particular portion of the market while allocating assets among Sub-advisers, transitioning the Fund’s portfolio or awaiting an opportunity to purchase securities directly. Investments may be structured to provide all types of interest rate payments, including fixed, variable, floating, inverse, zero or interest-only rates of interest. The Fund may invest up to 30% of its total assets in securities denominated in foreign currencies, and may invest beyond this limit in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. The Fund may invest in currency spot and forward transactions for the purpose of active currency exposure. Foreign currency exposure (from non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities or currencies) normally will be limited to 20% of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund may invest up to 15% in emerging market securities. The Fund may also invest up to 10% of its total assets in preferred stocks, convertible securities and other equity-related securities. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help fund performance. Credit quality. The Fund invests primarily in investment grade debt securities, but may invest up to 10% of its total assets in non-investment grade securities (sometimes called “high yield securities” or “junk bonds”) rated CCC- or higher by Moody’s, or equivalently rated by S&P or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by the Sub-advisers to be of comparable quality. Duration. The Fund’s average portfolio duration, as calculated by the Sub-advisers, normally ranges within two years (plus or minus) of the duration of the benchmark index. Duration is an approximate measure of the sensitivity of the market value of the Fund’s holdings to changes in interest rates. Maturity means the date on which the principal amount of a debt security is due and payable. Individual investments may be of any maturity. The Fund employs a “multi-manager” strategy whereby portions of the Fund are allocated to professional money managers (each, a “Sub-adviser,” collectively, the “Sub-advisers”) who are responsible for investing the assets of the Fund.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund </b>
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s principal risks include: Market Risk, which is the risk that the Fund will be affected by broad changes in the fixed income markets.  The prices of the Fund’s fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to perceptions about the creditworthiness of individual issuers, including governments and their agencies. Generally, the Fund’s fixed income securities will decrease in value if interest rates rise and vice versa. Declines in dealer market-making capacity as a result of structural or regulatory changes could decrease liquidity and/or increase volatility in the fixed income markets. In the case of foreign securities, price fluctuations will reflect international economic and political events, as well as changes in currency valuations relative to the U.S. dollar. In response to these events, the Fund’s value may fluctuate and/or the Fund may experience increased redemptions from shareholders, which may impact the Fund’s liquidity or force the Fund to sell securities into a declining or illiquid market. Interest Rate Risk, which is the risk that interest rates rise and fall over time. When interest rates are low, the Fund’s yield and total return also may be low. When interest rates rise, bond prices generally fall, which might cause the Fund’s share price to fall. When the Fund holds variable or floating rate securities, a decrease (or, in the case of inverse floating rate securities, an increase) in market interest rates will adversely affect the income received from such securities and the net asset value of the Fund’s shares. Credit and Junk Bond Risk, which means the credit quality of an investment could cause the Fund to lose money. Non-investment grade securities (sometimes called “high yield securities” or “junk bonds”) involve greater risks of default or downgrade, are more volatile and may be more susceptible than other issuers to economic downturns. Such securities are subject to the risk that the issuer may not be able to pay interest or dividends and ultimately to repay principal upon maturity, which could substantially adversely affect the market value of the securities. Prepayment and Extension Risks, which means a debt obligation may be paid off earlier or later than expected. Either situation could cause the Fund to hold securities paying lower-than-market rates of interest, which could hurt the Fund’s yield or share price. Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk, exists when the Fund invests in mortgage-backed securities, which represent an interest in a pool of mortgages. Mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment and extension risk as well as the risk that underlying borrowers will be unable to meet their obligations. Asset-Backed Securities Risk, exists when the Fund invests in asset-backed securities which are structured like mortgage-backed securities, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include such items as motor vehicle installment sales or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from credit card agreements. Asset-backed securities are subject to many of the same risks as mortgage-backed securities including prepayment and extension risk. The ability of an issuer of asset-backed securities to enforce its security interest in the underlying assets may be limited. Portfolio Turnover Risk, which is the risk that due to its investment strategy, the Fund may buy and sell securities frequently. This may result in higher transaction costs and additional capital gains tax liabilities. Liquidity Risk, exists when securities are difficult or impossible for the Fund to sell at the time and the price that the Fund would like due to a limited market or to legal restrictions. These securities may also need to be fair valued. Derivatives Risk, which means that the Fund’s use of futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions based on fixed income instruments to enhance returns or hedge against market declines subjects the Fund to potentially greater volatility and/or losses. Even a small investment in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can have a large impact on the Fund’s interest rate, securities market and currency exposure. Therefore, using futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when interest rates, stock prices or currency rates are changing. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on its investment in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings. The other party to certain futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions presents the same types of credit risks as issuers of fixed income securities. Investing in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can also make the Fund’s assets less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets. Leverage Risk, which means the Fund’s use of leverage may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to maintain asset coverage. Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. Emerging Markets Risk, emerging markets countries, which are generally defined as countries that may be represented in a market index such as the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net) or having per capita income in the low to middle ranges, as determined by the World Bank. In addition to foreign investment and currency risks, emerging markets may experience rising interest rates, or, more significantly, rapid inflation or hyperinflation. Emerging market securities may present market, credit, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign countries. The Fund also could experience a loss from settlement and custody practices in some emerging markets. Currency Risk, which refers to the risk that as a result of the Fund’s active positions in currencies and investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. Short Sale Risk, selling short may produce higher than normal portfolio turnover, result in increased transaction costs and magnify the potential for both gain and loss to the Fund. In addition, because the Fund’s loss on a short sale arises from increases in the value of the security sold short, such loss is theoretically unlimited. By contrast, the Fund’s loss on a long position arises from decreases in the value of the security and is limited by the fact that a security’s value cannot drop below zero. Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well. Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities Risk, the Fund’s investments in delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities may have the effect of requiring the Fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when it might not otherwise decide to do so. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities are subject to credit, interest rate and liquidity risk and the risks of being a lender. Event-Linked Exposure Risk, event-linked exposure results in gains or losses that typically are contingent, or formulaically related to defined trigger events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, weather-related phenomena, or statistics relating to such events. If a trigger event occurs, a Fund may lose a portion of or the entire principal investment in the case of a bond or a portion of or the entire notional amount in the case of a swap. Event-linked exposure instruments often provide for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred, such extension of maturity may increase volatility. Event-linked exposure may also expose a Fund to liquidity risk and certain unanticipated risks including credit risk, counterparty risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences. Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by a Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform. This risk is common for all actively managed funds. Multi-Manager Risk, which is the risk that the investment styles of the Sub-advisers may not complement each other as expected by the Manager. The Fund may experience a higher portfolio turnover rate, which can increase the Fund’s transaction costs and result in more taxable short-term gains for shareholders. Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services. Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”) Risk, which is the risk of owning shares of an ETF and generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF is designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio securities. When the Fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses. For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	<b>Performance </b>
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group.
Performance Additional Market Index [Text]	rr_PerformanceAdditionalMarketIndex	The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Core Bond Funds Average. The Lipper Core Bond Funds Average is composed of funds that, by fund practice, invest primarily in investment-grade debt issues rated in the top four grades by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, with dollar-weighted average maturities of one to five years.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.morganstanley.com/cgcm
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>Core Fixed Income Fund</b>
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). <b>The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return.</b>
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters Best: 7.00% in 3rd quarter 2009 Worst: (2.80)% in 4th quarter 2016 Year-to-date: (1.75)% (through 3rd quarter 2018)
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher	rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher	In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. The Fund’s benchmark is the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate BondTM Index. The benchmark is composed of debt securities of the U.S. government and its agencies and publicly issued, fixed rate, non-convertible, investment-grade domestic corporate debt with at least one year remaining to maturity. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index. The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Core Bond Funds Average. The Lipper Core Bond Funds Average is composed of funds that, by fund practice, invest primarily in investment-grade debt issues rated in the top four grades by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, with dollar-weighted average maturities of one to five years.
Core Fixed Income Fund | Core Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	rr_MaximumAccountFeeOverAssets	2.00%	[1]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.40%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.17%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.57%
Waiver	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.01%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.56%	[1]
AFTER 1 YEAR	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 259
AFTER 3 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	799
AFTER 5 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,364
AFTER 10 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 2,904
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	0.28%
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	13.56%
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	8.50%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	6.42%
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	7.91%
2013	rr_AnnualReturn2013	(1.96%)
2014	rr_AnnualReturn2014	5.70%
2015	rr_AnnualReturn2015	0.59%
2016	rr_AnnualReturn2016	2.90%
2017	rr_AnnualReturn2017	3.90%
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	Year-to-date:
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2018
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	(1.75%)
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Best:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	7.00%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Worst:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2016
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(2.80%)
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.90%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.19%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.69%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
Core Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | Core Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.80%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	0.84%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.93%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
Core Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | Core Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.15%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	1.07%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.97%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
Core Fixed Income Fund | Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond™ Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.54%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.10%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.10%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
Core Fixed Income Fund | Lipper Core Bond Funds Average
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.60%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	1.95%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.84%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[2] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	MORGAN STANLEY PATHWAY FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 01, 2019
High Yield Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	High Yield Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	<b>Investment objective </b>
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	A high level of current income primarily through investment in below-investment grade debt securities.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	<b>Fund fees and expenses </b>
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	January 1, 2020
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	<b>Portfolio turnover </b>
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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 57% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	57.00%
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	<b>Examples</b>
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	<b>Principal investment strategies </b>
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in U.S. dollar-denominated high yield fixed income securities of corporate issuers rated below investment grade by two or more nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (commonly called “junk bonds”), or, if unrated, of equivalent quality as determined by the Sub-advisers. These securities include all types of debt obligations, such as corporate bonds and notes, collateralized mortgage obligations and variable and floating rate securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in securities not denominated in U.S. dollars, including securities of issuers located in emerging market foreign countries. The Fund also may invest up to 20% of its assets in equity and equity-related securities, including common stock, convertible securities, preferred stock, warrants and rights. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help Fund performance. Credit quality. The Fund invests primarily in high yield securities or junk bonds. Duration. The Fund’s average portfolio duration, as calculated by the Sub-advisers, ranges from two to six years. Duration is an approximate measure of the sensitivity of the market value of the Fund’s holdings to changes in interest rates. Maturity means the date on which the principal amount of a debt security is due and payable. Individual securities may be of any maturity. The Fund employs a “multi-manager” strategy whereby portions of the Fund are allocated to professional money managers (each, a “Sub-adviser,” collectively, the “Sub-advisers”) who are responsible for investing the assets of the Fund.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund </b>
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s principal risks include: Market Risk, which is the risk that the Fund will be affected by broad changes in the fixed income markets.  The prices of the Fund’s fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to perceptions about the creditworthiness of individual issuers, including governments and their agencies. Generally, the Fund’s fixed income securities will decrease in value if interest rates rise and vice versa. Declines in dealer market-making capacity as a result of structural or regulatory changes could decrease liquidity and/or increase volatility in the fixed income markets. In the case of foreign securities, price fluctuations will reflect international economic and political events, as well as changes in currency valuations relative to the U.S. dollar. In response to these events, the Fund’s value may fluctuate and/or the Fund may experience increased redemptions from shareholders, which may impact the Fund’s liquidity or force the Fund to sell securities into a declining or illiquid market. Derivatives Risk, which means that the Fund’s use of futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions based on fixed income instruments to enhance returns or hedge against market declines subjects the Fund to potentially greater volatility and/or losses. Even a small investment in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can have a large impact on the Fund’s interest rate, securities market and currency exposure. Therefore, using futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when interest rates, stock prices or currency rates are changing. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on its investment in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings. The other party to certain futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions presents the same types of credit risks as issuers of fixed income securities. Investing in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can also make the Fund’s assets less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets. Equity Risk, which is the risk that prices of equity securities rise and fall daily due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or the equity market as a whole. Interest Rate Risk, which is the risk that interest rates rise and fall over time. When interest rates are low, the Fund’s yield and total return also may be low. When interest rates rise, bond prices generally fall, which might cause the Fund’s share price to fall. When the Fund holds variable or floating rate securities, a decrease (or, in the case of inverse floating rate securities, an increase) in market interest rates will adversely affect the income received from such securities and the net asset value of the Fund’s shares. Credit and Junk Bond Risk, which means the credit quality of an investment could cause the Fund to lose money. Non-investment grade securities (sometimes called “high yield securities” or “junk bonds”) involve greater risks of default or downgrade, are more volatile and may be more susceptible than other issuers to economic downturns. Such securities are subject to the risk that the issuer may not be able to pay interest or dividends and ultimately to repay principal upon maturity, which could substantially adversely affect the market value of the securities. Prepayment and Extension Risks, which means a debt obligation may be paid off earlier or later than expected. Either situation could cause the Fund to hold securities paying lower-than-market rates of interest, which could hurt the Fund’s yield or share price. Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk, exists when the Fund invests in mortgage-backed securities, which represent an interest in a pool of mortgages. Mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment and extension risk as well as the risk that underlying borrowers will be unable to meet their obligations. Asset-Backed Securities Risk, exists when the Fund invests in asset-backed securities which are structured like mortgage-backed securities, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include such items as motor vehicle installment sales or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from credit card agreements. Asset-backed securities are subject to many of the same risks as mortgage-backed securities including prepayment and extension risk. The ability of an issuer of asset-backed securities to enforce its security interest in the underlying assets may be limited. Liquidity Risk, exists when securities are difficult or impossible for the Fund to sell at the time and the price that the Fund would like due to a limited market or to legal restrictions. These securities may also need to be fair valued. Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to investing in foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. Emerging Markets Risk, emerging markets countries, which are generally defined as countries that may be represented in a market index such as the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net) or having per capita income in the low to middle ranges, as determined by the World Bank. In addition to foreign investment and currency risks, emerging markets may experience rising interest rates, or, more significantly, rapid inflation or hyperinflation. Emerging market securities may present market, credit, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign countries. The Fund also could experience a loss from settlement and custody practices in some emerging markets. Currency Risk, which refers to the risk that as a result of the Fund’s investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. Short Sale Risk, selling short may produce higher than normal portfolio turnover, result in increased transaction costs and magnify the potential for both gain and loss to the Fund. In addition, because the Fund’s loss on a short sale arises from increases in the value of the security sold short, such loss is theoretically unlimited. By contrast, the Fund’s loss on a long position arises from decreases in the value of the security and is limited by the fact that a security’s value cannot drop below zero. Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well. Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by a Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform. This risk is common for all actively managed funds. Multi-Manager Risk, which is the risk that the investment styles of the Sub-advisers may not complement each other as expected by the Manager. The Fund may experience a higher portfolio turnover rate, which can increase the Fund’s transaction costs and result in more taxable short-term gains for shareholders. Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services. Leverage Risk means that the Fund’s use of derivatives may result in the Fund’s total investment exposure substantially exceeding the value of its portfolio securities and that the Fund’s investment returns depending substantially on the performance of securities that the Fund may not directly own. The use of leverage can amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund’s share price and may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations. The Fund’s use of leverage may result in a heightened risk of investment loss. For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	<b>Performance </b>
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group.
Performance Additional Market Index [Text]	rr_PerformanceAdditionalMarketIndex	The Fund also compares its performance to the Lipper High Yield Funds Average. The Lipper High Yield Funds Average is composed of funds that, by fund practice, aim at high current yield from fixed income securities, have no quality or maturity restrictions, and tend to invest in lower grade debt issues.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.morganstanley.com/cgcm
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>High Yield Fund</b>
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). <b>The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return.</b>
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters Best: 21.80% in 2nd quarter 2009 Worst: (19.89)% in 4th quarter 2008 Year-to-date: 2.40% (through 3rd quarter 2018)
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher	rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher	In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. The Fund’s benchmark is the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Corporate High Yield Bond Index, a broad-based market measure of high yield bonds, commonly known as “junk bonds.” The benchmark is designed to mirror the investible universe of the dollar-denominated high yield debt market. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index. The Fund also compares its performance to the Lipper High Yield Funds Average. The Lipper High Yield Funds Average is composed of funds that, by fund practice, aim at high current yield from fixed income securities, have no quality or maturity restrictions, and tend to invest in lower grade debt issues.
High Yield Fund | High Yield Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	rr_MaximumAccountFeeOverAssets	2.00%	[1]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.70%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.47%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.17%
Waiver	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.20%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.97%	[1]
AFTER 1 YEAR	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 300
AFTER 3 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	959
AFTER 5 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,642
AFTER 10 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 3,462
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(27.45%)
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	53.78%
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	16.50%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	1.91%
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	15.64%
2013	rr_AnnualReturn2013	7.88%
2014	rr_AnnualReturn2014	(0.07%)
2015	rr_AnnualReturn2015	(7.43%)
2016	rr_AnnualReturn2016	14.13%
2017	rr_AnnualReturn2017	7.00%
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	Year-to-date:
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2018
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	2.40%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Best:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	21.80%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Worst:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(19.89%)
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	7.00%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.03%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.44%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Jul. 13, 1998	[2]
High Yield Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | High Yield Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	4.26%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	1.18%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.31%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Jul. 13, 1998	[2]
High Yield Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | High Yield Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.93%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	1.74%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.60%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Jul. 13, 1998	[2]
High Yield Fund | Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Corporate High Yield Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	7.50%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.78%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	8.03%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Jul. 13, 1998	[2]
High Yield Fund | Lipper High Yield Funds Average
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	6.58%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.63%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.41%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Jul. 13, 1998	[2]

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[2] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

International Fixed Income Fund

International Fixed Income Fund

<b>Investment objective </b>

Maximize current income, consistent with the protection of principal.

<b>Fund fees and expenses </b>

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)

Shareholder Fees	International Fixed Income Fund International Fixed Income Fund
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	2.00%	[1]

<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses	International Fixed Income Fund International Fixed Income Fund
Management Fees	0.50%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	none
Other Expenses	0.51%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	1.01%
Waiver	(0.06%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.95%	[1]

<b>Examples</b>

These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example	AFTER 1 YEAR	AFTER 3 YEARS	AFTER 5 YEARS	AFTER 10 YEARS
International Fixed Income Fund | International Fixed Income Fund | USD ($)	298	925	1,576	3,323

<b>Portfolio turnover </b>

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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 203% of the average value of its portfolio.

<b>Principal investment strategies </b>

The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in fixed income instruments. The Fund invests primarily in fixed income instruments of issuers located outside the U.S. Up to 15% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in fixed income securities of issuers located in emerging markets countries. The fixed income instruments in which the Fund may invest include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises (Note that securities issued by U.S. Government agencies or government-sponsored enterprises may not be guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury); corporate debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including preferred and convertible securities and corporate commercial paper; mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities; inflation-indexed bonds issued both by governments and corporations; structured notes, including hybrid or “indexed” securities and event-linked bonds; loan participations and assignments; delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities; bank loans; bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances; repurchase agreements on fixed income instruments and reverse repurchase agreements on fixed income instruments; debt securities issued by foreign sovereigns, states or local governments and their agencies, authorities and other government-sponsored enterprises; obligations of non-U.S. governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; and obligations of international agencies or supranational entities.

The Fund also may invest in derivatives based on fixed income instruments including futures, forwards, options, swaps, and swaptions and may use other investment techniques such as mortgage dollar rolls, buy-backs and securities lending to earn additional income. The Fund also may engage in short sales and invest in privately placed securities.

Investments may be structured to provide all types of interest rate payments, including fixed, variable, floating, inverse, zero or interest-only rates of interest. The Fund may invest in currency spot and forward transactions for the purpose of active currency exposure. Foreign currency exposure (from non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities or currencies) normally will be limited to 30% of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund may also invest up to 10% of its total assets in preferred stocks, convertible securities and other equity-related securities. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help Fund performance.

Credit Quality. The Fund invests primarily in investment grade debt securities, but may invest up to 15% of its total assets in non-investment grade securities (sometimes called “high yield securities” or “junk bonds”) rated CCC- or higher by Moody’s, or equivalently rated by S&P or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by the Sub-adviser to be of comparable quality.

Duration. The Fund’s average portfolio duration, as calculated by the Sub-adviser, normally ranges within two years (plus or minus) of the duration of the benchmark index. Duration is an approximate measure of the sensitivity of the market value of the Fund’s holdings to changes in interest rates. Maturity means the date on which the principal amount of a debt security is due and payable. The Fund may invest in individual securities of any maturity.

<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund </b>

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.

The Fund’s principal risks include:

• Market Risk, which is the risk that the Fund will be affected by broad changes in the fixed income markets.  The prices of the Fund’s fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to perceptions about the creditworthiness of individual issuers, including governments and their agencies. Generally, the Fund’s fixed income securities will decrease in value if interest rates rise and vice versa. Declines in dealer market-making capacity as a result of structural or regulatory changes could decrease liquidity and/or increase volatility in the fixed income markets. In the case of foreign securities, price fluctuations will reflect international economic and political events, as well as changes in currency valuations relative to the U.S. dollar. In response to these events, the Fund’s value may fluctuate and/or the Fund may experience increased redemptions from shareholders, which may impact the Fund’s liquidity or force the Fund to sell securities into a declining or illiquid market.
• Interest Rate Risk, which is the risk that interest rates rise and fall over time. When interest rates are low, the Fund’s yield and total return also may be low. When interest rates rise, bond prices generally fall, which might cause the Fund’s share price to fall. When the Fund holds variable or floating rate securities, a decrease (or, in the case of inverse floating rate securities, an increase) in market interest rates will adversely affect the income received from such securities and the net asset value of the Fund’s shares.
• Portfolio Turnover Risk, which is the risk that due to its investment strategy, the Fund may buy and sell securities frequently. This may result in higher transaction costs and additional capital gains tax liabilities.
• Credit and Junk Bond Risk, which means the credit quality of an investment could cause the Fund to lose money. Non-investment grade securities (sometimes called “high yield securities” or “junk bonds”) involve greater risks of default or downgrade, are more volatile and may be more susceptible than other issuers to economic downturns. Such securities are subject to the risk that the issuer may not be able to pay interest or dividends and ultimately to repay principal upon maturity, which could substantially adversely affect the market value of the securities.
• Prepayment and Extension Risks, which means a debt obligation may be paid off earlier or later than expected. Either situation could cause the Fund to hold securities paying lower-than-market rates of interest, which could hurt the Fund’s yield or share price.
• Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk, exists when the Fund invests in mortgage-backed securities, which represent an interest in a pool of mortgages. Mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment and extension risk as well as the risk that underlying borrowers will be unable to meet their obligations.
• Asset-Backed Securities Risk, exists when the Fund invests in asset-backed securities which are structured like mortgage-backed securities, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include such items as motor vehicle installment sales or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from credit card agreements. Asset-backed securities are subject to many of the same risks as mortgage-backed securities including prepayment and extension risk. The ability of an issuer of asset-backed securities to enforce its security interest in the underlying assets may be limited.
• Derivatives Risk, which means that the Fund’s use of futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions based on fixed income instruments to enhance returns or hedge against market declines subjects the Fund to potentially greater volatility and/or losses. Even a small investment in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can have a large impact on the Fund’s interest rate, securities market and currency exposure. Therefore, using futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when interest rates, stock prices or currency rates are changing. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on its investment in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings. The other party to certain futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions presents the same types of credit risks as issuers of fixed income securities. Investing in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can also make the Fund’s assets less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets.
• Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities Risk, the Fund’s investments in delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities may have the effect of requiring the Fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when it might not otherwise decide to do so. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities are subject to credit, interest rate and liquidity risk and the risks of being a lender.
• Event-Linked Exposure Risk, event-linked exposure results in gains or losses that typically are contingent, or formulaically related to defined trigger events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, weather-related phenomena, or statistics relating to such events. If a trigger event occurs, a Fund may lose a portion of or the entire principal investment in the case of a bond or a portion of or the entire notional amount in the case of a swap. Event-linked exposure instruments often provide for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred, such extension of maturity may increase volatility. Event-linked exposure may also expose a Fund to liquidity risk and certain unanticipated risks including credit risk, counterparty risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences.
• Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
• Emerging Markets Risk, which refers to the fact that in addition to foreign investment and currency risks, emerging markets may experience rising interest rates, or, more significantly, rapid inflation or hyperinflation. Emerging market securities may present market, credit, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign countries. The Fund also could experience a loss from settlement and custody practices in some emerging markets.
• Currency Risk, which refers to the risk that as a result of the Fund’s active positions in currencies and investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged.
• Short Sale Risk, selling short may produce higher than normal portfolio turnover, result in increased transaction costs and magnify the potential for both gain and loss to the Fund. In addition, because the Fund’s loss on a short sale arises from increases in the value of the security sold short, such loss is theoretically unlimited. By contrast, the Fund’s loss on a long position arises from decreases in the value of the security and is limited by the fact that a security’s value cannot drop below zero.
• Liquidity Risk, exists when securities are difficult or impossible for the Fund to sell at the time and the price that the Fund would like due to a limited market or to legal restrictions. These securities may also need to be fair valued.
• Non-Diversification Risk, which means that because the Fund is a “non-diversified” fund, it is permitted to invest in a limited number of issuers. To the extent the Fund invests in a limited number of issuers or countries, it is subject, to a greater extent, to the risks associated with those issuers or countries.
• Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well.
• Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by the Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform. This risk is common for all actively managed funds.
• Equity Risk, which is the risk that prices of equity securities rise and fall daily due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or the equity market as a whole.
• Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.
• Leverage Risk means that the Fund’s use of derivatives may result in the Fund’s total investment exposure substantially exceeding the value of its portfolio securities and that the Fund’s investment returns depending substantially on the performance of securities that the Fund may not directly own. The use of leverage can amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund’s share price and may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations. The Fund’s use of leverage may result in a heightened risk of investment loss.
• Foreign Sovereign Debt securities risk includes that (i) the governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be willing or able to repay the principal and/or interest when it becomes due, due to factors such as debt service burden, political constraints, cash flow problems and other national economic factors; (ii) governments may default on their debt securities, which may require the Fund, as a holder of such securities, to participate in debt rescheduling or additional lending to defaulting governments; and (iii) there is no bankruptcy proceeding by which defaulted sovereign debt may be collected in whole or in part.

For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.

<b>Performance </b>

The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.

<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>International Fixed Income Fund</b>

Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters

Best: 5.33% in 3rd quarter 2009
Worst: (4.29)% in 2nd quarter 2015
Year-to-date: 1.42% (through 3rd quarter 2018)

<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)

Average Annual Total Returns - International Fixed Income Fund		1 YEAR	5 YEARS	10 YEARS	INCEPTION DATE
International Fixed Income Fund	[1]	3.08%	3.12%	4.95%	Nov. 18, 1991
International Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions	[1]	2.54%	1.21%	3.04%	Nov. 18, 1991
International Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares	[1]	1.62%	1.42%	2.96%	Nov. 18, 1991
FTSE Non-U.S. Dollar World Government Bond Index (USD)-Hedged (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	[1]	2.06%	3.94%	4.20%	Nov. 18, 1991
Lipper International Income Funds Average	[1]	7.90%	0.82%	3.83%	Nov. 18, 1991

The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.

The Fund’s benchmark is the FTSE Non-U.S. Dollar World Government Bond Index (USD)-Hedged. The benchmark is a market capitalization-weighted index consisting of government bond markets in developed countries, excluding the U.S., as the term “developed countries” is defined by the benchmark. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index. Unlike the FTSE Non-U.S. Dollar World Government Bond Index (USD)-Hedged, the Fund may invest in U.S. securities.

The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper International Income Funds Average. The Lipper International Income Funds Average is an average of the reinvested performance of funds that invest primarily in U.S. dollar and non-U.S. dollar debt securities located in at least three countries, excluding the United States, except in periods of market weakness.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	MORGAN STANLEY PATHWAY FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 01, 2019
International Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	International Fixed Income Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	<b>Investment objective </b>
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	Maximize current income, consistent with the protection of principal.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	<b>Fund fees and expenses </b>
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	January 1, 2020
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	<b>Portfolio turnover </b>
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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 203% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	203.00%
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	<b>Examples</b>
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	<b>Principal investment strategies </b>
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in fixed income instruments. The Fund invests primarily in fixed income instruments of issuers located outside the U.S. Up to 15% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in fixed income securities of issuers located in emerging markets countries. The fixed income instruments in which the Fund may invest include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises (Note that securities issued by U.S. Government agencies or government-sponsored enterprises may not be guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury); corporate debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including preferred and convertible securities and corporate commercial paper; mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities; inflation-indexed bonds issued both by governments and corporations; structured notes, including hybrid or “indexed” securities and event-linked bonds; loan participations and assignments; delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities; bank loans; bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances; repurchase agreements on fixed income instruments and reverse repurchase agreements on fixed income instruments; debt securities issued by foreign sovereigns, states or local governments and their agencies, authorities and other government-sponsored enterprises; obligations of non-U.S. governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; and obligations of international agencies or supranational entities. The Fund also may invest in derivatives based on fixed income instruments including futures, forwards, options, swaps, and swaptions and may use other investment techniques such as mortgage dollar rolls, buy-backs and securities lending to earn additional income. The Fund also may engage in short sales and invest in privately placed securities. Investments may be structured to provide all types of interest rate payments, including fixed, variable, floating, inverse, zero or interest-only rates of interest. The Fund may invest in currency spot and forward transactions for the purpose of active currency exposure. Foreign currency exposure (from non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities or currencies) normally will be limited to 30% of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund may also invest up to 10% of its total assets in preferred stocks, convertible securities and other equity-related securities. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help Fund performance. Credit Quality. The Fund invests primarily in investment grade debt securities, but may invest up to 15% of its total assets in non-investment grade securities (sometimes called “high yield securities” or “junk bonds”) rated CCC- or higher by Moody’s, or equivalently rated by S&P or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by the Sub-adviser to be of comparable quality. Duration. The Fund’s average portfolio duration, as calculated by the Sub-adviser, normally ranges within two years (plus or minus) of the duration of the benchmark index. Duration is an approximate measure of the sensitivity of the market value of the Fund’s holdings to changes in interest rates. Maturity means the date on which the principal amount of a debt security is due and payable. The Fund may invest in individual securities of any maturity.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund </b>
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s principal risks include: Market Risk, which is the risk that the Fund will be affected by broad changes in the fixed income markets.  The prices of the Fund’s fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to perceptions about the creditworthiness of individual issuers, including governments and their agencies. Generally, the Fund’s fixed income securities will decrease in value if interest rates rise and vice versa. Declines in dealer market-making capacity as a result of structural or regulatory changes could decrease liquidity and/or increase volatility in the fixed income markets. In the case of foreign securities, price fluctuations will reflect international economic and political events, as well as changes in currency valuations relative to the U.S. dollar. In response to these events, the Fund’s value may fluctuate and/or the Fund may experience increased redemptions from shareholders, which may impact the Fund’s liquidity or force the Fund to sell securities into a declining or illiquid market. Interest Rate Risk, which is the risk that interest rates rise and fall over time. When interest rates are low, the Fund’s yield and total return also may be low. When interest rates rise, bond prices generally fall, which might cause the Fund’s share price to fall. When the Fund holds variable or floating rate securities, a decrease (or, in the case of inverse floating rate securities, an increase) in market interest rates will adversely affect the income received from such securities and the net asset value of the Fund’s shares. Portfolio Turnover Risk, which is the risk that due to its investment strategy, the Fund may buy and sell securities frequently. This may result in higher transaction costs and additional capital gains tax liabilities. Credit and Junk Bond Risk, which means the credit quality of an investment could cause the Fund to lose money. Non-investment grade securities (sometimes called “high yield securities” or “junk bonds”) involve greater risks of default or downgrade, are more volatile and may be more susceptible than other issuers to economic downturns. Such securities are subject to the risk that the issuer may not be able to pay interest or dividends and ultimately to repay principal upon maturity, which could substantially adversely affect the market value of the securities. Prepayment and Extension Risks, which means a debt obligation may be paid off earlier or later than expected. Either situation could cause the Fund to hold securities paying lower-than-market rates of interest, which could hurt the Fund’s yield or share price. Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk, exists when the Fund invests in mortgage-backed securities, which represent an interest in a pool of mortgages. Mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment and extension risk as well as the risk that underlying borrowers will be unable to meet their obligations. Asset-Backed Securities Risk, exists when the Fund invests in asset-backed securities which are structured like mortgage-backed securities, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include such items as motor vehicle installment sales or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from credit card agreements. Asset-backed securities are subject to many of the same risks as mortgage-backed securities including prepayment and extension risk. The ability of an issuer of asset-backed securities to enforce its security interest in the underlying assets may be limited. Derivatives Risk, which means that the Fund’s use of futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions based on fixed income instruments to enhance returns or hedge against market declines subjects the Fund to potentially greater volatility and/or losses. Even a small investment in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can have a large impact on the Fund’s interest rate, securities market and currency exposure. Therefore, using futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when interest rates, stock prices or currency rates are changing. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on its investment in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings. The other party to certain futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions presents the same types of credit risks as issuers of fixed income securities. Investing in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can also make the Fund’s assets less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets. Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities Risk, the Fund’s investments in delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities may have the effect of requiring the Fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when it might not otherwise decide to do so. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities are subject to credit, interest rate and liquidity risk and the risks of being a lender. Event-Linked Exposure Risk, event-linked exposure results in gains or losses that typically are contingent, or formulaically related to defined trigger events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, weather-related phenomena, or statistics relating to such events. If a trigger event occurs, a Fund may lose a portion of or the entire principal investment in the case of a bond or a portion of or the entire notional amount in the case of a swap. Event-linked exposure instruments often provide for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred, such extension of maturity may increase volatility. Event-linked exposure may also expose a Fund to liquidity risk and certain unanticipated risks including credit risk, counterparty risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences. Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. Emerging Markets Risk, which refers to the fact that in addition to foreign investment and currency risks, emerging markets may experience rising interest rates, or, more significantly, rapid inflation or hyperinflation. Emerging market securities may present market, credit, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign countries. The Fund also could experience a loss from settlement and custody practices in some emerging markets. Currency Risk, which refers to the risk that as a result of the Fund’s active positions in currencies and investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. Short Sale Risk, selling short may produce higher than normal portfolio turnover, result in increased transaction costs and magnify the potential for both gain and loss to the Fund. In addition, because the Fund’s loss on a short sale arises from increases in the value of the security sold short, such loss is theoretically unlimited. By contrast, the Fund’s loss on a long position arises from decreases in the value of the security and is limited by the fact that a security’s value cannot drop below zero. Liquidity Risk, exists when securities are difficult or impossible for the Fund to sell at the time and the price that the Fund would like due to a limited market or to legal restrictions. These securities may also need to be fair valued. Non-Diversification Risk, which means that because the Fund is a “non-diversified” fund, it is permitted to invest in a limited number of issuers. To the extent the Fund invests in a limited number of issuers or countries, it is subject, to a greater extent, to the risks associated with those issuers or countries. Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well. Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by the Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform. This risk is common for all actively managed funds. Equity Risk, which is the risk that prices of equity securities rise and fall daily due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or the equity market as a whole. Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services. Leverage Risk means that the Fund’s use of derivatives may result in the Fund’s total investment exposure substantially exceeding the value of its portfolio securities and that the Fund’s investment returns depending substantially on the performance of securities that the Fund may not directly own. The use of leverage can amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund’s share price and may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations. The Fund’s use of leverage may result in a heightened risk of investment loss. Foreign Sovereign Debt securities risk includes that (i) the governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be willing or able to repay the principal and/or interest when it becomes due, due to factors such as debt service burden, political constraints, cash flow problems and other national economic factors; (ii) governments may default on their debt securities, which may require the Fund, as a holder of such securities, to participate in debt rescheduling or additional lending to defaulting governments; and (iii) there is no bankruptcy proceeding by which defaulted sovereign debt may be collected in whole or in part. For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.
Risk Nondiversified Status [Text]	rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus	<ul type="square"><li> Non-Diversification Risk, which means that because the Fund is a “non-diversified” fund, it is permitted to invest in a limited number of issuers. To the extent the Fund invests in a limited number of issuers or countries, it is subject, to a greater extent, to the risks associated with those issuers or countries. </li></ul>
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	<b>Performance </b>
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group.
Performance Additional Market Index [Text]	rr_PerformanceAdditionalMarketIndex	The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper International Income Funds Average. The Lipper International Income Funds Average is an average of the reinvested performance of funds that invest primarily in U.S. dollar and non-U.S. dollar debt securities located in at least three countries, excluding the United States, except in periods of market weakness.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.morganstanley.com/cgcm
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>International Fixed Income Fund</b>
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). <b>The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return.</b>
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters Best: 5.33% in 3rd quarter 2009 Worst: (4.29)% in 2nd quarter 2015 Year-to-date: 1.42% (through 3rd quarter 2018)
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher	rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher	In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. The Fund’s benchmark is the FTSE Non-U.S. Dollar World Government Bond Index (USD)-Hedged. The benchmark is a market capitalization-weighted index consisting of government bond markets in developed countries, excluding the U.S., as the term “developed countries” is defined by the benchmark. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index. Unlike the FTSE Non-U.S. Dollar World Government Bond Index (USD)-Hedged, the Fund may invest in U.S. securities. The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper International Income Funds Average. The Lipper International Income Funds Average is an average of the reinvested performance of funds that invest primarily in U.S. dollar and non-U.S. dollar debt securities located in at least three countries, excluding the United States, except in periods of market weakness.
International Fixed Income Fund | International Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	rr_MaximumAccountFeeOverAssets	2.00%	[1]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.50%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.51%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.01%
Waiver	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.06%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.95%	[1]
AFTER 1 YEAR	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 298
AFTER 3 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	925
AFTER 5 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,576
AFTER 10 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 3,323
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	3.28%
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	9.52%
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	7.65%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	5.86%
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	7.87%
2013	rr_AnnualReturn2013	(2.25%)
2014	rr_AnnualReturn2014	9.08%
2015	rr_AnnualReturn2015	(0.44%)
2016	rr_AnnualReturn2016	6.59%
2017	rr_AnnualReturn2017	3.08%
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	Year-to-date:
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2018
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	1.42%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Best:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	5.33%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Worst:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2015
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(4.29%)
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.08%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	3.12%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.95%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
International Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | International Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.54%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	1.21%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.04%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
International Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | International Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.62%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	1.42%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.96%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
International Fixed Income Fund | FTSE Non-U.S. Dollar World Government Bond Index (USD)-Hedged (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.06%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	3.94%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.20%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]
International Fixed Income Fund | Lipper International Income Funds Average
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	7.90%	[2]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	0.82%	[2]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.83%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[2]

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[2] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Municipal Bond Fund

Municipal Bond Fund

<b>Investment objective </b>

A high level of interest income that is excluded from federal income taxation, to the extent consistent with prudent investment management and the preservation of capital.

<b>Fund fees and expenses </b>

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)

Shareholder Fees	Municipal Bond Fund Municipal Bond Fund
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	2.00%	[1]

<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses </b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses	Municipal Bond Fund Municipal Bond Fund
Management Fees	0.40%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	none
Other Expenses	0.32%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.72%
Waiver	none	[1],[2]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.72%	[1]

<b>Examples</b>

These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example	AFTER 1 YEAR	AFTER 3 YEARS	AFTER 5 YEARS	AFTER 10 YEARS
Municipal Bond Fund | Municipal Bond Fund | USD ($)	275	844	1,440	3,051

<b>Portfolio turnover </b>

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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 18% of the average value of its portfolio.

<b>Principal investment strategies </b>

The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in tax exempt general obligation, revenue and private activity bonds and notes, which are issued by or on behalf of states, territories or possessions of the U.S. and the District of Columbia and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities (including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam). Tax-exempt means that the bonds pay interest that is excluded from gross income for regular federal income tax purposes but such bonds may pay income that is subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax. The Fund’s investments generally include municipal obligations with a full range of maturities and broad issuer and geographic diversification.

Credit quality. The Fund limits its investments to municipal obligations that are rated investment grade or higher by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or, if unrated, of equivalent quality as determined by the Sub-adviser.

Duration. The Fund’s average portfolio duration, as calculated by the Sub-adviser, is typically maintained at 90-110% of the average benchmark duration, which is the average duration of all the constituent bonds in the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Municipal Bond Index. The Sub-adviser seeks to target the average duration of the benchmark which varies over time and may be impacted by market conditions. Duration is an approximate measure of the sensitivity of the market value of the portfolio holdings to changes in interest rates. The Fund is generally composed of securities having a full range of maturities. Maturity means the date on which the principal amount of a debt security is due and payable. Individual investments may be of any maturity.

<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund </b>

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.

The Fund’s principal risks include:

• Market Risk, which is the risk that municipal bond prices decline overall. Markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to real or perceived adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments in the U.S. and in other countries. Market risk may affect a single company, sector of the economy or the market as a whole. Declines in dealer market-making capacity as a result of structural or regulatory changes could decrease liquidity and/or increase volatility in the fixed income markets.
• Interest Rate Risk, which is the risk that interest rates rise and fall over time. When interest rates are low, the Fund’s yield and total return also may be low. When interest rates rise, bond prices generally fall, which might cause the Fund’s share price to fall. When the Fund holds variable or floating rate securities, a decrease (or, in the case of inverse floating rate securities, an increase) in market interest rates will adversely affect the income received from such securities and the net asset value of the Fund’s shares.
• Credit Risk, which means the Fund is subject to the risk that a decline in the credit quality of an investment could cause the Fund to lose money. Although the Fund invests primarily in investment grade securities, the Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a portfolio security fails to make timely payment or otherwise honor its obligations.
• Prepayment and Extension Risks, which means a debt obligation may be paid off earlier or later than expected. Either situation could cause the Fund to hold securities paying lower-than-market rates of interest, which could hurt the Fund’s yield or share price.
• Municipal Securities Risk, which includes the risk that new federal or state legislation or Internal Revenue Service determinations may adversely affect the tax-exempt status of securities held by the Fund or the financial ability of the municipalities to repay these obligations. Municipal securities, like other fixed income securities, rise and fall in value in response to economic and market factors, primarily changes in interest rates, and actual or perceived credit quality. Rising interest rates will generally cause municipal securities to decline in value. Longer-term securities usually respond more sharply to interest rate changes than do shorter-term securities. A municipal security will also lose value if, due to rating downgrades or other factors, there are concerns about the issuer’s current or future ability to make principal or interest payments. State and local governments rely on taxes and, to some extent, revenues from private projects financed by municipal securities, to pay interest and principal on municipal debt. Poor statewide or local economic results or changing political sentiments may reduce tax revenues and increase the expenses of municipal issuers, making it more difficult for them to meet their obligations. Actual or perceived erosion of the creditworthiness of municipal issuers may reduce the value of the Fund’s holdings. As a result, the Fund will be more susceptible to factors that adversely affect issuers of municipal obligations than a mutual fund that does not have as great a concentration in municipal obligations. Also, there may be economic or political changes that impact the ability of issuers of municipal securities to repay principal and to make interest payments on securities owned by the Fund. Any changes in the financial condition of municipal issuers may also adversely affect the value of the Fund’s securities. Due to local economic and financial conditions, certain municipal issuers will be more susceptible to default on their obligations than others. Each of these risks may be heightened with respect to investments in U.S. instrumentalities, such as Guam, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
• Liquidity Risk, exists when securities are difficult or impossible for the Fund to sell at the time and the price that the Fund would like due to a limited market or to legal restrictions. These securities may also need to be fair valued.
• Taxation Risk, which means the possibility that some of the Fund’s income distributions, and distributions of the Fund’s gains, may be subject to federal taxation. The Fund may realize taxable gains on the sale of its securities or other transactions, and some of the Fund’s income distributions may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. This may result in a lower tax-adjusted return. Additionally, distributions of the Fund’s income and gains generally will be subject to state taxation.
• Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by the Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other investments with similar strategies. This risk is common for all actively managed funds.
• Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.

<b>Performance </b>

The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.

<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017 </b><br/><br/><b>Municipal Bond Fund</b>

Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters

Best: 6.67% in 3rd quarter 2009
Worst: (4.74)% in 4th quarter 2010
Year-to-date: (1.40)% (through 3rd quarter 2018)

<b>Average Annual Total Returns </b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)

Average Annual Total Returns - Municipal Bond Fund		1 YEAR	5 YEARS	10 YEARS	INCEPTION DATE
Municipal Bond Fund	[1]	4.84%	2.48%	3.83%	Nov. 18, 1991
Municipal Bond Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions	[1]	4.73%	2.25%	3.57%	Nov. 18, 1991
Municipal Bond Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares	[1]	3.87%	2.51%	3.52%	Nov. 18, 1991
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	[1]	5.45%	3.02%	4.46%	Nov. 18, 1991
Lipper General & Insured Municipal Debt Funds Average	[1]	5.40%	2.80%	4.04%	Nov. 18, 1991

The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.

The Fund’s primary benchmark is the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Municipal Bond Index. The benchmark is a composite measure of the total return performance of the municipal bond market. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper General & Insured Municipal Debt Funds Average. The Lipper General & Insured Municipal Debt Funds Average is composed of funds that, by fund practice, invest in municipal debt issues in the top four credit ratings as determined by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%,and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%,and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[2] No portion of the management fees were waived during the most recent fiscal year.

[1] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	MORGAN STANLEY PATHWAY FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 01, 2019
Municipal Bond Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Municipal Bond Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	<b>Investment objective </b>
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	A high level of interest income that is excluded from federal income taxation, to the extent consistent with prudent investment management and the preservation of capital.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	<b>Fund fees and expenses </b>
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses </b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	January 1, 2020
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	<b>Portfolio turnover </b>
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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 18% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	18.00%
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	<b>Examples</b>
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	<b>Principal investment strategies </b>
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in tax exempt general obligation, revenue and private activity bonds and notes, which are issued by or on behalf of states, territories or possessions of the U.S. and the District of Columbia and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities (including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam). Tax-exempt means that the bonds pay interest that is excluded from gross income for regular federal income tax purposes but such bonds may pay income that is subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax. The Fund’s investments generally include municipal obligations with a full range of maturities and broad issuer and geographic diversification. Credit quality. The Fund limits its investments to municipal obligations that are rated investment grade or higher by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or, if unrated, of equivalent quality as determined by the Sub-adviser. Duration. The Fund’s average portfolio duration, as calculated by the Sub-adviser, is typically maintained at 90-110% of the average benchmark duration, which is the average duration of all the constituent bonds in the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Municipal Bond Index. The Sub-adviser seeks to target the average duration of the benchmark which varies over time and may be impacted by market conditions. Duration is an approximate measure of the sensitivity of the market value of the portfolio holdings to changes in interest rates. The Fund is generally composed of securities having a full range of maturities. Maturity means the date on which the principal amount of a debt security is due and payable. Individual investments may be of any maturity.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund </b>
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s principal risks include: Market Risk, which is the risk that municipal bond prices decline overall. Markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to real or perceived adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market or economic developments in the U.S. and in other countries. Market risk may affect a single company, sector of the economy or the market as a whole. Declines in dealer market-making capacity as a result of structural or regulatory changes could decrease liquidity and/or increase volatility in the fixed income markets. Interest Rate Risk, which is the risk that interest rates rise and fall over time. When interest rates are low, the Fund’s yield and total return also may be low. When interest rates rise, bond prices generally fall, which might cause the Fund’s share price to fall. When the Fund holds variable or floating rate securities, a decrease (or, in the case of inverse floating rate securities, an increase) in market interest rates will adversely affect the income received from such securities and the net asset value of the Fund’s shares. Credit Risk, which means the Fund is subject to the risk that a decline in the credit quality of an investment could cause the Fund to lose money. Although the Fund invests primarily in investment grade securities, the Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a portfolio security fails to make timely payment or otherwise honor its obligations. Prepayment and Extension Risks, which means a debt obligation may be paid off earlier or later than expected. Either situation could cause the Fund to hold securities paying lower-than-market rates of interest, which could hurt the Fund’s yield or share price. Municipal Securities Risk, which includes the risk that new federal or state legislation or Internal Revenue Service determinations may adversely affect the tax-exempt status of securities held by the Fund or the financial ability of the municipalities to repay these obligations. Municipal securities, like other fixed income securities, rise and fall in value in response to economic and market factors, primarily changes in interest rates, and actual or perceived credit quality. Rising interest rates will generally cause municipal securities to decline in value. Longer-term securities usually respond more sharply to interest rate changes than do shorter-term securities. A municipal security will also lose value if, due to rating downgrades or other factors, there are concerns about the issuer’s current or future ability to make principal or interest payments. State and local governments rely on taxes and, to some extent, revenues from private projects financed by municipal securities, to pay interest and principal on municipal debt. Poor statewide or local economic results or changing political sentiments may reduce tax revenues and increase the expenses of municipal issuers, making it more difficult for them to meet their obligations. Actual or perceived erosion of the creditworthiness of municipal issuers may reduce the value of the Fund’s holdings. As a result, the Fund will be more susceptible to factors that adversely affect issuers of municipal obligations than a mutual fund that does not have as great a concentration in municipal obligations. Also, there may be economic or political changes that impact the ability of issuers of municipal securities to repay principal and to make interest payments on securities owned by the Fund. Any changes in the financial condition of municipal issuers may also adversely affect the value of the Fund’s securities. Due to local economic and financial conditions, certain municipal issuers will be more susceptible to default on their obligations than others. Each of these risks may be heightened with respect to investments in U.S. instrumentalities, such as Guam, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Liquidity Risk, exists when securities are difficult or impossible for the Fund to sell at the time and the price that the Fund would like due to a limited market or to legal restrictions. These securities may also need to be fair valued. Taxation Risk, which means the possibility that some of the Fund’s income distributions, and distributions of the Fund’s gains, may be subject to federal taxation. The Fund may realize taxable gains on the sale of its securities or other transactions, and some of the Fund’s income distributions may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. This may result in a lower tax-adjusted return. Additionally, distributions of the Fund’s income and gains generally will be subject to state taxation. Manager Risk, which is the risk that poor security selection by the Sub-adviser will cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other investments with similar strategies. This risk is common for all actively managed funds. Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services. For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	<b>Performance </b>
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group.
Performance Additional Market Index [Text]	rr_PerformanceAdditionalMarketIndex	The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper General & Insured Municipal Debt Funds Average. The Lipper General & Insured Municipal Debt Funds Average is composed of funds that, by fund practice, invest in municipal debt issues in the top four credit ratings as determined by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.morganstanley.com/cgcm
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017 </b><br/><br/><b>Municipal Bond Fund</b>
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). <b>The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return.</b>
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters Best: 6.67% in 3rd quarter 2009 Worst: (4.74)% in 4th quarter 2010 Year-to-date: (1.40)% (through 3rd quarter 2018)
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	<b>Average Annual Total Returns </b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher	rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher	In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. The Fund’s primary benchmark is the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Municipal Bond Index. The benchmark is a composite measure of the total return performance of the municipal bond market. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index. The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper General & Insured Municipal Debt Funds Average. The Lipper General & Insured Municipal Debt Funds Average is composed of funds that, by fund practice, invest in municipal debt issues in the top four credit ratings as determined by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization.
Municipal Bond Fund | Municipal Bond Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	rr_MaximumAccountFeeOverAssets	2.00%	[1]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.40%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.32%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.72%
Waiver	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	none	[1],[2]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.72%	[1]
AFTER 1 YEAR	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 275
AFTER 3 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	844
AFTER 5 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,440
AFTER 10 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 3,051
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(2.97%)
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	12.30%
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	1.73%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	10.48%
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	5.25%
2013	rr_AnnualReturn2013	(2.62%)
2014	rr_AnnualReturn2014	8.21%
2015	rr_AnnualReturn2015	2.58%
2016	rr_AnnualReturn2016	(0.29%)
2017	rr_AnnualReturn2017	4.84%
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	Year-to-date:
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2018
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	(1.40%)
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Best:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	6.67%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Worst:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2010
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(4.74%)
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	4.84%	[3]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.48%	[3]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.83%	[3]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[3]
Municipal Bond Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | Municipal Bond Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	4.73%	[3]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.25%	[3]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.57%	[3]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[3]
Municipal Bond Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | Municipal Bond Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.87%	[3]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.51%	[3]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.52%	[3]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[3]
Municipal Bond Fund | Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	5.45%	[3]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	3.02%	[3]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.46%	[3]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[3]
Municipal Bond Fund | Lipper General & Insured Municipal Debt Funds Average
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	5.40%	[3]
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.80%	[3]
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.04%	[3]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Nov. 18, 1991	[3]

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%,and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[2] No portion of the management fees were waived during the most recent fiscal year.

[3] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund

Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund

<b>Investment objective</b>

Total return that exceeds the rate of inflation over an economic cycle.

<b>Fund fees and expenses</b>

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)

Shareholder Fees	Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	2.00%	[1]

<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses	Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund
Management Fees	0.50%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	none
Other Expenses	0.77%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	1.27%
Waiver	(0.05%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	1.22%	[1]

<b>Examples</b>

These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example	AFTER 1 YEAR	AFTER 3 YEARS	AFTER 5 YEARS	AFTER 10 YEARS
Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund | Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund | USD ($)	325	1,002	1,703	3,564

<b>Portfolio turnover</b>

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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 72% of the average value of its portfolio.

<b>Principal investment strategies</b>

Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in fixed income securities. The Fund seeks to allocate assets among investments to achieve the highest level of real return (total return less the rate of inflation). The Fund will shift its investments among the following general asset classes: inflation-indexed securities issued by governments, corporations, and municipal issuers; investment grade fixed income securities and high-yield fixed income securities (i.e., junk bonds) issued by governments, corporations, and municipal issuers; and short-term non-dollar denominated debt securities. The Fund may also, to a lesser extent, invest in equity securities with high correlation to broad measures of inflation.

Inflation-indexed securities are fixed income securities that are structured to provide protection against inflation. The value of the security’s principal or the interest income paid on the security will be adjusted to track changes in an official inflation measure. The U.S. Treasury uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers as their inflation measure. Inflation-indexed securities issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index, calculated by that government.

The Fund invests primarily in investment grade debt securities; however, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in below investment grade debt securities (i.e., junk bonds), as rated by Moody’s, S&P or Fitch or, if unrated, determined by the Sub-adviser to be of comparable credit quality to such a rating. The Fund may also invest up to 30% of its total assets in foreign currency denominated securities, including emerging market securities. For purposes of pursuing its investment goal, the Fund may enter into currency-related transactions involving certain derivative instruments, including currency and cross currency forward contracts. The use of derivative currency transactions may allow the Fund to reduce a specific risk exposure of a portfolio security or its denominated currency or to obtain net long exposure to selected currencies. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will seek to limit its foreign currency exposure to 20% of its total assets.

The Fund may invest, without limitation, in derivative instruments, such as options, futures contracts, or swap agreements, or in mortgage- or asset- backed securities, subject to applicable law and any other restrictions described in the Fund’s prospectus or Statement of Additional Information. The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis and may engage in short sales. The Fund may, without limitation, seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as buy backs or dollar rolls). The Fund may also invest up to 10% of its total assets in preferred stocks.

The Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.

<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund</b>

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.

The Fund’s principal risks include:

• Interest Rate Risk, the risk that fixed income securities will decline in value because of an increase in interest rates; a fund with longer average portfolio duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a fund with shorter average portfolio duration.
• Call Risk, the risk that an issuer may exercise its right to redeem a fixed income security earlier than expected (a call). Issuers may call outstanding securities prior to their maturity for a number of reasons (e.g., declining interest rates, changes in credit spreads and improvements in the issuer’s credit quality). If an issuer calls a security that the Fund has invested in, the Fund may not recoup the full amount of its initial investment and may be forced to reinvest in lower-yielding securities, securities with greater credit risks or securities with other, less favorable features.
• Credit Risk, the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to a derivative contract, is unable or unwilling to meet its financial obligations.
• High Yield Risk, the risk that high yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) are subject to greater levels of credit, call and liquidity risks. High yield securities are considered primarily speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments, and may be more volatile than higher-rated securities of similar maturity.
• Market Risk, the risk that the value of securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular industries.
• Issuer Risk, the risk that the value of a security may decline for a reason directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.
• Liquidity Risk, the risk that a particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell and that the Fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price or achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market, reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities, and may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed income mutual funds may be higher than normal, causing increased supply in the market due to selling activity.
• Derivatives Risk, the risk of investing in derivative instruments (such as forwards, futures, swaps and structured securities), include liquidity, interest rate, market, and credit risks, each of which is described herein. Derivative instruments also may be difficult to accurately price due to their complexity, particularly derivative instruments that are traded off an exchange (also known as “over the counter”). Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with, and may be more sensitive to market events than, the underlying asset, rate or index, and the Fund could lose more than the initial amount invested. The Fund’s use of derivatives may result in losses to the Fund, a reduction in the Fund’s returns and/or increased volatility. Over-the-counter derivatives are also subject to the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligations. For derivatives traded on exchanges, the primary credit risk is the creditworthiness of the Fund’s clearing broker or the exchange itself.
• Equity Risk, the risk that the value of equity securities, such as common stocks and preferred stocks, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company or to factors affecting a particular industry or industries. Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities.
• Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities risk, the risks of investing in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, including interest rate risk, extension risk, prepayment risk, and credit risk.
• Asset-Backed Securities Risk, exists when the Fund invests in asset-backed securities which are structured like mortgage-backed securities, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include such items as motor vehicle installment sales or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from credit card agreements. Asset-backed securities are subject to many of the same risks as mortgage-backed securities including prepayment and extension risk. The ability of an issuer of asset-backed securities to enforce its security interest in the underlying assets may be limited.
• Foreign (Non-U.S.) Investment Risk, the risk that investing in foreign securities may result in the Fund experiencing more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in securities of U.S. companies, due to smaller markets, differing reporting, accounting and auditing standards, increased risk of delayed settlement of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates of portfolio securities, and the risk of unfavorable foreign government actions, including nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, or political changes or diplomatic developments. Foreign securities may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than securities of U.S. issuers.
• Emerging Markets Risk, the risk of investing in emerging market securities, primarily increased foreign investment risk.
• Sovereign Debt Risk, the risk that investments in fixed income instruments issued by sovereign entities may decline in value as a result of default or other adverse credit event resulting from the issuer’s inability or unwillingness to make principal or interest payments in a timely fashion.
• Currency Risk, the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar and affect the Fund’s investments in foreign currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, or in derivatives that provide exposure to, foreign currencies.
• Leveraging Risk, the risk that certain transactions of the Fund, such as reverse repurchase agreements, loans of portfolio securities, and the use of when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions, or derivative instruments, may give rise to leverage, magnifying gains and losses and causing the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged. This means that leverage entails a heightened risk of loss.
• Short Sale Risk, the risk of entering into short sales, including the potential loss of more money than the actual cost of the investment, and the risk that the third party to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the Fund.

For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.

<b>Performance</b>

The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.

<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund</b>

Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters

Best: 1.52% 2nd quarter 2016
Worst: (1.85)% 4th quarter 2016
Year-to-date: (1.17)% (through 3rd quarter 2018)

<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)

Average Annual Total Returns - Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund		1 YEAR	INCEPTION DATE
Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund	[1]	3.15%	Mar. 08, 2016
Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions	[1]	2.10%	Mar. 08, 2016
Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares	[1]	1.68%	Mar. 08, 2016
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasure Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	[1]	3.01%	Mar. 08, 2016
Lipper Inflation Protected Bond Funds Average	[1]	3.15%	Mar. 08, 2016

The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.

The Fund’s benchmark is the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) Index. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Inflation Protected Bond Funds Average. The Lipper Inflation Protected Bond Funds Average is composed of funds that invest primarily in inflation-indexed fixed income securities issued in the United States that are structured to provide protection against inflation.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	MORGAN STANLEY PATHWAY FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 01, 2019
Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	<b>Investment objective</b>
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	Total return that exceeds the rate of inflation over an economic cycle.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	<b>Fund fees and expenses</b>
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	January 1, 2020
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	<b>Portfolio turnover</b>
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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 72% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	72.00%
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	<b>Examples</b>
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	<b>Principal investment strategies</b>
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in fixed income securities. The Fund seeks to allocate assets among investments to achieve the highest level of real return (total return less the rate of inflation). The Fund will shift its investments among the following general asset classes: inflation-indexed securities issued by governments, corporations, and municipal issuers; investment grade fixed income securities and high-yield fixed income securities (i.e., junk bonds) issued by governments, corporations, and municipal issuers; and short-term non-dollar denominated debt securities. The Fund may also, to a lesser extent, invest in equity securities with high correlation to broad measures of inflation. Inflation-indexed securities are fixed income securities that are structured to provide protection against inflation. The value of the security’s principal or the interest income paid on the security will be adjusted to track changes in an official inflation measure. The U.S. Treasury uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers as their inflation measure. Inflation-indexed securities issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index, calculated by that government. The Fund invests primarily in investment grade debt securities; however, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in below investment grade debt securities (i.e., junk bonds), as rated by Moody’s, S&P or Fitch or, if unrated, determined by the Sub-adviser to be of comparable credit quality to such a rating. The Fund may also invest up to 30% of its total assets in foreign currency denominated securities, including emerging market securities. For purposes of pursuing its investment goal, the Fund may enter into currency-related transactions involving certain derivative instruments, including currency and cross currency forward contracts. The use of derivative currency transactions may allow the Fund to reduce a specific risk exposure of a portfolio security or its denominated currency or to obtain net long exposure to selected currencies. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will seek to limit its foreign currency exposure to 20% of its total assets. The Fund may invest, without limitation, in derivative instruments, such as options, futures contracts, or swap agreements, or in mortgage- or asset- backed securities, subject to applicable law and any other restrictions described in the Fund’s prospectus or Statement of Additional Information. The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis and may engage in short sales. The Fund may, without limitation, seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as buy backs or dollar rolls). The Fund may also invest up to 10% of its total assets in preferred stocks. The Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund</b>
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s principal risks include: Interest Rate Risk, the risk that fixed income securities will decline in value because of an increase in interest rates; a fund with longer average portfolio duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a fund with shorter average portfolio duration. Call Risk, the risk that an issuer may exercise its right to redeem a fixed income security earlier than expected (a call). Issuers may call outstanding securities prior to their maturity for a number of reasons (e.g., declining interest rates, changes in credit spreads and improvements in the issuer’s credit quality). If an issuer calls a security that the Fund has invested in, the Fund may not recoup the full amount of its initial investment and may be forced to reinvest in lower-yielding securities, securities with greater credit risks or securities with other, less favorable features. Credit Risk, the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to a derivative contract, is unable or unwilling to meet its financial obligations. High Yield Risk, the risk that high yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) are subject to greater levels of credit, call and liquidity risks. High yield securities are considered primarily speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments, and may be more volatile than higher-rated securities of similar maturity. Market Risk, the risk that the value of securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular industries. Issuer Risk, the risk that the value of a security may decline for a reason directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services. Liquidity Risk, the risk that a particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell and that the Fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price or achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market, reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities, and may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed income mutual funds may be higher than normal, causing increased supply in the market due to selling activity. Derivatives Risk, the risk of investing in derivative instruments (such as forwards, futures, swaps and structured securities), include liquidity, interest rate, market, and credit risks, each of which is described herein. Derivative instruments also may be difficult to accurately price due to their complexity, particularly derivative instruments that are traded off an exchange (also known as “over the counter”). Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with, and may be more sensitive to market events than, the underlying asset, rate or index, and the Fund could lose more than the initial amount invested. The Fund’s use of derivatives may result in losses to the Fund, a reduction in the Fund’s returns and/or increased volatility. Over-the-counter derivatives are also subject to the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligations. For derivatives traded on exchanges, the primary credit risk is the creditworthiness of the Fund’s clearing broker or the exchange itself. Equity Risk, the risk that the value of equity securities, such as common stocks and preferred stocks, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company or to factors affecting a particular industry or industries. Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities. Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities risk, the risks of investing in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, including interest rate risk, extension risk, prepayment risk, and credit risk. Asset-Backed Securities Risk, exists when the Fund invests in asset-backed securities which are structured like mortgage-backed securities, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include such items as motor vehicle installment sales or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from credit card agreements. Asset-backed securities are subject to many of the same risks as mortgage-backed securities including prepayment and extension risk. The ability of an issuer of asset-backed securities to enforce its security interest in the underlying assets may be limited. Foreign (Non-U.S.) Investment Risk, the risk that investing in foreign securities may result in the Fund experiencing more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in securities of U.S. companies, due to smaller markets, differing reporting, accounting and auditing standards, increased risk of delayed settlement of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates of portfolio securities, and the risk of unfavorable foreign government actions, including nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, or political changes or diplomatic developments. Foreign securities may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than securities of U.S. issuers. Emerging Markets Risk, the risk of investing in emerging market securities, primarily increased foreign investment risk. Sovereign Debt Risk, the risk that investments in fixed income instruments issued by sovereign entities may decline in value as a result of default or other adverse credit event resulting from the issuer’s inability or unwillingness to make principal or interest payments in a timely fashion. Currency Risk, the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar and affect the Fund’s investments in foreign currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, or in derivatives that provide exposure to, foreign currencies. Leveraging Risk, the risk that certain transactions of the Fund, such as reverse repurchase agreements, loans of portfolio securities, and the use of when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions, or derivative instruments, may give rise to leverage, magnifying gains and losses and causing the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged. This means that leverage entails a heightened risk of loss. Short Sale Risk, the risk of entering into short sales, including the potential loss of more money than the actual cost of the investment, and the risk that the third party to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the Fund. For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	<b>Performance</b>
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group.
Performance Additional Market Index [Text]	rr_PerformanceAdditionalMarketIndex	The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Inflation Protected Bond Funds Average. The Lipper Inflation Protected Bond Funds Average is composed of funds that invest primarily in inflation-indexed fixed income securities issued in the United States that are structured to provide protection against inflation.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.morganstanley.com/cgcm
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund</b>
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). <b>The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return.</b>
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters Best: 1.52% 2nd quarter 2016 Worst: (1.85)% 4th quarter 2016 Year-to-date: (1.17)% (through 3rd quarter 2018)
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher	rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher	In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. The Fund’s benchmark is the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) Index. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index. The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Inflation Protected Bond Funds Average. The Lipper Inflation Protected Bond Funds Average is composed of funds that invest primarily in inflation-indexed fixed income securities issued in the United States that are structured to provide protection against inflation.
Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund | Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	rr_MaximumAccountFeeOverAssets	2.00%	[1]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.50%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.77%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.27%
Waiver	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.05%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.22%	[1]
AFTER 1 YEAR	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 325
AFTER 3 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	1,002
AFTER 5 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,703
AFTER 10 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 3,564
2017	rr_AnnualReturn2017	3.15%
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	Year-to-date:
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2018
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	(1.17%)
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Best:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2016
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	1.52%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Worst:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2016
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(1.85%)
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.15%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Mar. 08, 2016	[2]
Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.10%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Mar. 08, 2016	[2]
Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.68%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Mar. 08, 2016	[2]
Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund | Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasure Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.01%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Mar. 08, 2016	[2]
Inflation-Linked Fixed Income Fund | Lipper Inflation Protected Bond Funds Average
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.15%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Mar. 08, 2016	[2]

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[2] Fund (without advisory program fee)

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Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund

Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund

<b>Investment objective</b>

Total return, consistent with preservation of capital.

<b>Fund fees and expenses</b>

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)

Shareholder Fees	Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	2.00%	[1]

<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses	Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund
Management Fees	0.50%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	none
Other Expenses	0.21%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.71%
Waiver	(0.05%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.66%	[1]

<b>Examples</b>

These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example	AFTER 1 YEAR	AFTER 3 YEARS	AFTER 5 YEARS	AFTER 10 YEARS
Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund | Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund | USD ($)	269	837	1,430	3,038

<b>Portfolio turnover</b>

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 transactions costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 128% of the average value of its portfolio.

<b>Principal investment strategies</b>

The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in fixed income instruments with maturities of less than or equal to two years.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in investment-grade securities and will seek to maintain an average portfolio duration of two years or less. The Fund seeks to outperform the FTSE 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index over a full market cycle, while maintaining overall risk similar to the index. The Fund will invest in government and corporate debt securities, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, money market instruments, collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), and derivatives, including futures contracts, forward contracts (such as currency and cross-currency forwards), options and swaps (such as interest rate swaps and credit default swaps). The Fund may invest up to 20% of net assets in securities rated below investment grade. It may also invest up to 30% of its total assets in securities denominated in foreign currencies, and may invest beyond this limit in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will seek to limit its foreign currency exposure to 20% of its total assets. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help fund performance.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in non-investment grade securities (sometimes called “high yield securities” or “junk bonds”) rated CCC- or higher by Moody’s, or equivalently rated by S&P or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by the Sub-adviser to be of comparable credit quality.

The Fund’s average portfolio duration, as calculated by the Sub-adviser is normally less than two years. Duration is an approximate measure of the sensitivity of the market value of the Fund’s holdings to changes in interest rates. The longer a security’s duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. In addition, the dollar-weighted average portfolio maturity of the Fund, under normal circumstances, is expected not to exceed three years. Maturity means the date on which the principal amount of a debt security is due and payable. Individual investments may be of any maturity.

The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis and may engage in short sales. The Fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sales contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as buy-backs or dollar rolls).

The Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.

<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund</b>

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.

The Fund’s principal risks include:

• Interest Rate Risk, the risk that fixed income securities will decline in value because of an increase in interest rates; a fund with a longer average portfolio duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a fund with a shorter average portfolio duration.
• Call Risk, the risk that an issuer may exercise its right to redeem a fixed income security earlier than expected (a call). Issuers may call outstanding securities prior to their maturity for a number of reasons (e.g., declining interest rates, changes in credit spreads and improvements in the issuer’s credit quality). If an issuer calls a security that the Fund has invested in, the Fund may not recoup the full amount of its initial investment and may be forced to reinvest in lower-yielding securities, securities with greater credit risks or securities with other, less favorable features.
• Credit Risk, the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to a derivative contract, is unable or unwilling to meet its financial obligations.
• High Yield Risk, the risk that high yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) are subject to greater levels of credit, call and liquidity risks. High yield securities are considered primarily speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments, and may be more volatile than higher-rated securities of similar maturity.
• Market Risk, the risk that the value of securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular industries.
• Issuer Risk, the risk that the value of a security may decline for a reason directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.
• Liquidity Risk, the risk that a particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell and that the Fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price or achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market, reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities, and may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed income mutual funds may be higher than normal, causing increased supply in the market due to selling activity.
• Derivatives Risk, the risk of investing in derivative instruments (such as forwards, futures, swaps and structured securities), include liquidity, interest rate, market, and credit risks, each of which is described herein. Derivative instruments also may be difficult to accurately price due to their complexity, particularly derivative instruments that are traded off an exchange (also known as “over the counter”). Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with, and may be more sensitive to market events than, the underlying asset, rate or index, and the Fund could lose more than the initial amount invested. The Fund’s use of derivatives may result in losses to the Fund, a reduction in the Fund’s returns and/or increased volatility. Over-the-counter derivatives are also subject to the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligations. For derivatives traded on exchanges, the primary credit risk is the creditworthiness of the Fund’s clearing broker or the exchange itself.
• Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well.
• Equity Risk, the risk that the value of equity securities, such as common stocks and preferred stocks, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company or to factors affecting a particular industry or industries. Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities.
• Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, the risks of investing in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, including interest rate risk, extension risk, prepayment risk, and credit risk.
• Foreign (Non-U.S.) Investment Risk, the risk that investing in foreign securities may result in the Fund experiencing more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in securities of U.S. companies, due to smaller markets, differing reporting, accounting and auditing standards, increased risk of delayed settlement of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates of portfolio securities, and the risk of unfavorable foreign government actions, including nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, or political changes or diplomatic developments. Foreign securities may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than securities of U.S. issuers.
• Currency Risk, the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar and affect the Fund’s investments in foreign currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, or in derivatives that provide exposure to, foreign currencies.
• Leveraging Risk, the risk that certain transactions of the Fund, such as reverse repurchase agreements, loans of portfolio securities, and the use of when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions, or derivative instruments, may give rise to leverage, magnifying gains and losses and causing the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged. This means that leverage entails a heightened risk of loss.
• Short Sale Risk, the risk of entering into short sales, including the potential loss of more money than the actual cost of the investment, and the risk that the third party to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the Fund.
• Collateralized Loan Obligations Risk, collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) are a type of asset-backed security that is typically structured as a trust collateralized by a pool of loans. The cash flows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The risks of an investment in a CLO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the instrument in which the Fund invests. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed income securities, CLOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Fund may invest in CLOs that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.

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 entity.

For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.

<b>Performance</b>

The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.

<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund</b>

Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters

Best: 1.01% 4th quarter 2016
Worst: 0.33% 4th quarter 2017
Year-to-date: 1.83% (through 3rd quarter 2018)

<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)

Average Annual Total Returns - Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund		1 YEAR	INCEPTION DATE
Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund	[1]	1.73%	Mar. 08, 2016
Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions	[1]	0.76%	Mar. 08, 2016
Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares	[1]	0.97%	Mar. 08, 2016
FTSE 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	[1]	0.84%	Mar. 08, 2016
Lipper Ultra-Short Obligations Funds Average	[1]	1.49%	Mar. 08, 2016

The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.

The Fund’s benchmark is the FTSE 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.

The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Ultra-Short Obligations Funds Average. The Lipper Ultra-Short Obligations Funds Average is composed of funds that invest primarily in investment-grade debt issues or better and maintain a portfolio dollar-weighted average maturity between 91 days and 365 days.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	MORGAN STANLEY PATHWAY FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 01, 2019
Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	<b>Investment objective</b>
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	Total return, consistent with preservation of capital.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	<b>Fund fees and expenses</b>
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	January 1, 2020
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	<b>Portfolio turnover</b>
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 transactions costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 128% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	128.00%
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	<b>Examples</b>
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waiver is only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	<b>Principal investment strategies</b>
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in fixed income instruments with maturities of less than or equal to two years. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in investment-grade securities and will seek to maintain an average portfolio duration of two years or less. The Fund seeks to outperform the FTSE 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index over a full market cycle, while maintaining overall risk similar to the index. The Fund will invest in government and corporate debt securities, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, money market instruments, collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), and derivatives, including futures contracts, forward contracts (such as currency and cross-currency forwards), options and swaps (such as interest rate swaps and credit default swaps). The Fund may invest up to 20% of net assets in securities rated below investment grade. It may also invest up to 30% of its total assets in securities denominated in foreign currencies, and may invest beyond this limit in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will seek to limit its foreign currency exposure to 20% of its total assets. The Fund may also lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help fund performance. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in non-investment grade securities (sometimes called “high yield securities” or “junk bonds”) rated CCC- or higher by Moody’s, or equivalently rated by S&P or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by the Sub-adviser to be of comparable credit quality. The Fund’s average portfolio duration, as calculated by the Sub-adviser is normally less than two years. Duration is an approximate measure of the sensitivity of the market value of the Fund’s holdings to changes in interest rates. The longer a security’s duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. In addition, the dollar-weighted average portfolio maturity of the Fund, under normal circumstances, is expected not to exceed three years. Maturity means the date on which the principal amount of a debt security is due and payable. Individual investments may be of any maturity. The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis and may engage in short sales. The Fund may seek to obtain market exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests by entering into a series of purchase and sales contracts or by using other investment techniques (such as buy-backs or dollar rolls). The Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund</b>
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s principal risks include: Interest Rate Risk, the risk that fixed income securities will decline in value because of an increase in interest rates; a fund with a longer average portfolio duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a fund with a shorter average portfolio duration. Call Risk, the risk that an issuer may exercise its right to redeem a fixed income security earlier than expected (a call). Issuers may call outstanding securities prior to their maturity for a number of reasons (e.g., declining interest rates, changes in credit spreads and improvements in the issuer’s credit quality). If an issuer calls a security that the Fund has invested in, the Fund may not recoup the full amount of its initial investment and may be forced to reinvest in lower-yielding securities, securities with greater credit risks or securities with other, less favorable features. Credit Risk, the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to a derivative contract, is unable or unwilling to meet its financial obligations. High Yield Risk, the risk that high yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) are subject to greater levels of credit, call and liquidity risks. High yield securities are considered primarily speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments, and may be more volatile than higher-rated securities of similar maturity. Market Risk, the risk that the value of securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular industries. Issuer Risk, the risk that the value of a security may decline for a reason directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services. Liquidity Risk, the risk that a particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell and that the Fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price or achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market, reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities, and may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed income mutual funds may be higher than normal, causing increased supply in the market due to selling activity. Derivatives Risk, the risk of investing in derivative instruments (such as forwards, futures, swaps and structured securities), include liquidity, interest rate, market, and credit risks, each of which is described herein. Derivative instruments also may be difficult to accurately price due to their complexity, particularly derivative instruments that are traded off an exchange (also known as “over the counter”). Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with, and may be more sensitive to market events than, the underlying asset, rate or index, and the Fund could lose more than the initial amount invested. The Fund’s use of derivatives may result in losses to the Fund, a reduction in the Fund’s returns and/or increased volatility. Over-the-counter derivatives are also subject to the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligations. For derivatives traded on exchanges, the primary credit risk is the creditworthiness of the Fund’s clearing broker or the exchange itself. Securities Lending Risk, which includes the potential insolvency of a borrower and losses due to the re-investment of collateral received on loaned securities in investments that default or do not perform well. Equity Risk, the risk that the value of equity securities, such as common stocks and preferred stocks, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company or to factors affecting a particular industry or industries. Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities. Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, the risks of investing in mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, including interest rate risk, extension risk, prepayment risk, and credit risk. Foreign (Non-U.S.) Investment Risk, the risk that investing in foreign securities may result in the Fund experiencing more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in securities of U.S. companies, due to smaller markets, differing reporting, accounting and auditing standards, increased risk of delayed settlement of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates of portfolio securities, and the risk of unfavorable foreign government actions, including nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, currency blockage, or political changes or diplomatic developments. Foreign securities may also be less liquid and more difficult to value than securities of U.S. issuers. Currency Risk, the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar and affect the Fund’s investments in foreign currencies or in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, or in derivatives that provide exposure to, foreign currencies. Leveraging Risk, the risk that certain transactions of the Fund, such as reverse repurchase agreements, loans of portfolio securities, and the use of when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment transactions, or derivative instruments, may give rise to leverage, magnifying gains and losses and causing the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged. This means that leverage entails a heightened risk of loss. Short Sale Risk, the risk of entering into short sales, including the potential loss of more money than the actual cost of the investment, and the risk that the third party to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the Fund. Collateralized Loan Obligations Risk, collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) are a type of asset-backed security that is typically structured as a trust collateralized by a pool of loans. The cash flows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The risks of an investment in a CLO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the instrument in which the Fund invests. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed income securities, CLOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Fund may invest in CLOs that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results. 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 entity. For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.
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 entity.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	<b>Performance</b>
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. For current performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the Fund’s annual total returns for various periods compare to those of the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group.
Performance Additional Market Index [Text]	rr_PerformanceAdditionalMarketIndex	The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Ultra-Short Obligations Funds Average. The Lipper Ultra-Short Obligations Funds Average is composed of funds that invest primarily in investment-grade debt issues or better and maintain a portfolio dollar-weighted average maturity between 91 days and 365 days.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.morganstanley.com/cgcm
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	<b>Annual total returns (%) as of December 31, 2017</b><br/><br/><b>Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund</b>
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). <b>The performance information in the bar chart and table below does not reflect this fee, which would reduce your return.</b>
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Fund’s best and worst calendar quarters Best: 1.01% 4th quarter 2016 Worst: 0.33% 4th quarter 2017 Year-to-date: 1.83% (through 3rd quarter 2018)
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	<b>Average Annual Total Returns</b><br/>(for the periods ended December 31, 2017)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher	rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher	In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The after-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. The Fund’s benchmark is the FTSE 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index. Unlike the Fund, the benchmark is unmanaged and does not include any fees or expenses. An investor cannot invest directly in an index. The Fund also compares its performance with the Lipper Ultra-Short Obligations Funds Average. The Lipper Ultra-Short Obligations Funds Average is composed of funds that invest primarily in investment-grade debt issues or better and maintain a portfolio dollar-weighted average maturity between 91 days and 365 days.
Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund | Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	rr_MaximumAccountFeeOverAssets	2.00%	[1]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.50%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.21%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.71%
Waiver	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.05%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.66%	[1]
AFTER 1 YEAR	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 269
AFTER 3 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	837
AFTER 5 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,430
AFTER 10 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 3,038
2017	rr_AnnualReturn2017	1.73%
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	Year-to-date:
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2018
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	1.83%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Best:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2016
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	1.01%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Worst:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2017
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	0.33%
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.73%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Mar. 08, 2016	[2]
Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions | Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	0.76%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Mar. 08, 2016	[2]
Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	0.97%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Mar. 08, 2016	[2]
Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund | FTSE 3-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	0.84%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Mar. 08, 2016	[2]
Ultra-Short Term Fixed Income Fund | Lipper Ultra-Short Obligations Funds Average
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.49%	[2]
INCEPTION DATE	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Mar. 08, 2016	[2]

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. This contractual waiver will only apply if the Fund’s total management fees exceed the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20%, and will not affect the Fund’s total management fees if they are less than such amount. This fee waiver and reimbursement agreement shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020. The agreement may be amended or terminated only with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

[2] Fund (without advisory program fee)

XML

Alternative Strategies Fund

Alternative Strategies Fund

<b>Investment objective</b>

Long term growth of capital.

<b>Fund fees and expenses</b>

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)

Shareholder Fees	Alternative Strategies Fund Alternative Strategies Fund
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	2.00%	[1]

<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses	Alternative Strategies Fund Alternative Strategies Fund
Management Fees	1.20%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	none
Other Expenses	9.80%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	1.36%	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	12.36%	[1]
Waiver	(10.30%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	2.06%	[1]

<b>Examples</b>

These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waivers are only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example	AFTER 1 YEAR	AFTER 3 YEARS	AFTER 5 YEARS	AFTER 10 YEARS
Alternative Strategies Fund | Alternative Strategies Fund | USD ($)	408	3,042	5,206	9,074

<b>Portfolio turnover</b>

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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in total annual Fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the period February 15, 2018 (inception of the Fund) through August 31, 2018, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 14% of the average value of its portfolio.

<b>Principal investment strategies</b>

Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to generate long term growth across market cycles with reduced correlation to the equity and fixed income markets. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by allocating its assets among shares of mutual funds, exchange-traded funds or closed-end funds managed by third-party professional money managers (“Underlying Funds”).

The Underlying Funds may apply a variety of alternative investment strategies, but will typically apply one or more of four main investment strategies, including: (i) investments in real asset strategies, (ii) equity-based tactical, value or event-driven strategies, (iii) absolute return strategies that seek to generate returns independent of market conditions, and (iv) equity hedged (i.e., long/short) strategies.

The Underlying Funds’ investment strategies may rely in part on derivative investments, such as futures, forwards, swaps, swaptions, and options, to implement their investment strategies, to generate positive returns, for hedging or risk management purposes, to limit volatility and to provide exposure to an instrument without directly purchasing it. The Underlying Funds’ investments may also include exposure to companies located both in the U.S. and in foreign countries, including companies located in emerging market countries. The Underlying Funds may invest in securities and other investments of all capitalization sizes, including securities and other investment that have exposure to small- and mid-capitalization issues. The Underlying Funds may also invest in investment grade fixed income securities of any maturity or duration.

The Fund may, in the future, allocate all or a portion of its assets directly to professional money managers (each, a “Sub-Adviser,” collectively, the “Sub-Advisers”), each of which would be responsible for investing its portion of the Fund’s assets.  Currently, the Fund does not use any Sub-Advisers.

The Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.

Due to its investment strategy, the Fund may buy and sell securities and other instruments frequently.

<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund</b>

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.

The following principal risks are applicable to the Fund:

• Allocation Risk, which refers to the risk that the Adviser’s judgment about, and allocations among, strategies through investments in Underlying Funds may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
• Closed-end fund risk, which means that since closed-end funds issue a fixed number of shares they typically trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or discount to their net asset value per share. The Fund will also bear its pro rata portion of any costs of a closed-end fund in which it invests.
• Investment company and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) risk, which is when the Fund invests in an investment company, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the investment company’s expenses. In addition, while the risks of owning shares of an investment company generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying investments of the investment company, the Fund may be subject to additional or different risks than if the Fund had invested directly in the underlying investments.
• Manager risk, which is the risk that poor selection of Underlying Funds by the Adviser will cause the Fund to underperform.
• Portfolio turnover risk, due to its investment strategy, the Fund may buy and sell securities frequently. This may result in higher transaction costs and additional capital gains tax liabilities.

The following principal risks are applicable to the Fund’s investment in Underlying Funds:

• Absolute Return Investing Risk, which refers to the risk that an Underlying Fund’s investment returns may converge with the investment returns of equity or fixed income markets during a period of declining stock prices, thereby eliminating the diversification benefit that the Underlying Fund expects from the strategies. During these times, the strategies’ correlations could increase, which in turn could increase the Underlying Fund’s overall volatility.
• Active Management Risk, due to the active management investment strategies used by the Underlying Funds, the Underlying Funds could underperform their benchmark indexes and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
• Arbitrage Strategies Risk, which involves engaging in transactions that attempt to exploit price differences of identical, related or similar securities on different markets or in different forms. The Underlying Funds may realize losses or reduced rate of return if underlying relationships among securities in which they take investment positions change in an adverse manner or if a transaction is unexpectedly terminated or delayed. Trading to seek short-term capital appreciation can be expected to cause an Underlying Fund’s portfolio turnover rate to be substantially higher than that of the average equity-oriented investment company.
• Alternative Strategies Risk, pursued by the Underlying Funds may be subject to risks including, but not limited to, derivatives risk, liquidity risk, credit risk, commodities risk and risks associated with the use of leverage.
• Credit and Junk Bond Risk, which means the credit quality of an investment could cause an Underlying Fund to lose money. Non-investment grade securities (sometimes called “high yield securities” or “junk bonds”) involve greater risks of default or downgrade, are more volatile and may be more susceptible than other issuers to economic downturns. Such securities are subject to the risk that the issuer may not be able to pay interest or dividends and ultimately to repay principal upon maturity, which could substantially adversely affect the market value of the securities.
• Currency Risk, which refers to the risk that as a result of an Underlying Fund’s active positions in currencies and investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged.
• Derivatives Risk, which means that an Underlying Fund’s use of futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions based on fixed income instruments to enhance returns or hedge against market declines subjects the Underlying Fund to potentially greater volatility and/or losses. Even a small investment in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can have a large impact on an Underlying Fund’s interest rate, securities market and currency exposure. Therefore, using futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when interest rates, stock prices or currency rates are changing. An Underlying Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on its investment in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Underlying Fund’s holdings. The other party to certain futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions presents the same types of credit risks as issuers of fixed income securities. Investing in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can also make the Underlying Fund’s assets less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets.
• Event-Linked Exposure Risk, event-linked exposure results in gains or losses that typically are contingent, or formulaically related to defined trigger events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, weather-related phenomena, or statistics relating to such events. If a trigger event occurs, an Underlying Fund may lose a portion of or the entire principal investment in the case of a bond or a portion of or the entire notional amount in the case of a swap. Event-linked exposure instruments often provide for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred, such extension of maturity may increase volatility. Event-linked exposure may also expose an Underlying Fund to liquidity risk and certain unanticipated risks including credit risk, counterparty risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences.
• Emerging Markets Risk, emerging markets countries may experience rising interest rates, or, more significantly, rapid inflation or hyperinflation. Emerging market securities may present market, credit, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign countries. An Underlying Fund also could experience a loss from settlement and custody practices in some emerging markets.
• Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates.
• Foreign Sovereign Debt Securities Risk, the risks that (i) the governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be willing or able to repay the principal and/or interest when it becomes due, due to factors such as debt service burden, political constraints, cash flow problems and other national economic factors; (ii) governments may default on their debt securities, which may require holders of such securities to participate in debt rescheduling or additional lending to defaulting governments; and (iii) there is no bankruptcy proceeding by which defaulted sovereign debt may be collected in whole or in part.
• Interest Rate Risk, which is the risk that interest rates rise and fall over time, thereby affecting the value of certain investments of the Fund.
• Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.
• Investment Limitation Risk, which refers to the potential that the Fund may want to invest in an Underlying Fund that is not available in sufficient quantities for the Fund to participate fully due to capacity constraints of the strategy. The Fund may therefore have reduced exposure to a capacity constrained Underlying Fund, which could adversely affect the Fund’s return.  
• Leverage Risk, which means an Underlying Fund’s use of leverage may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and cause the Underlying Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to maintain asset coverage.
• Liquidity Risk exists when securities are difficult or impossible for an Underlying Fund to sell at the time and the price that the Underlying Fund would like due to a limited market or to legal restrictions. These securities may also need to be fair valued.
• Market Risk, which is the risk that an Underlying Fund will be affected by changes in the markets for the various securities in which the Underlying Fund invests.
• MLP Risk, which is the risk that, to the extent that an MLP’s interests are all in a particular industry, the MLP will be negatively impacted by economic events adversely impacting that industry. Additional risks of investing in an MLP also include those involved in investing in a partnership as opposed to a corporation, and the fact that MLPs may be subject to state taxation in certain jurisdictions which will have the effect of reducing the amount of income paid by the MLP to its investors.
• Short Sale Risk, selling short may produce higher than normal portfolio turnover, result in increased transaction costs and magnify the potential for both gain and loss to an Underlying Fund.
• Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk, which is the risk that small and medium capitalization companies in which the Underlying Funds invest may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies.

For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.

<b>Performance</b>

The Fund commenced investment operations on February 15, 2018 and therefore has no performance history. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, performance information will be indicative of the risks of investing in the Fund by comparing the Fund’s performance relative to the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group.

The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). For future performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. Because the Fund does not currently have sub-advisers, CGAS will contractually waive 1.00% of its management fees. In addition, effective January 1, 2019, CGAS and its affiliates have also separately agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses in order to keep the Fund’s total annual operating expenses, (exclusive of interest from borrowing, brokerage commissions, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business), from exceeding 0.70%. Each of these contractual waiver arrangements shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020 and each may be amended or terminated only with consent of the Board of Trustees.

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. Because the Fund does not currently have sub-advisers, CGAS will contractually waive 1.00% of its management fees. In addition, effective January 1, 2019, CGAS and its affiliates have also separately agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses in order to keep the Fund’s total annual operating expenses, (exclusive of interest from borrowing, brokerage commissions, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business), from exceeding 0.70%. Each of these contractual waiver arrangements shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020 and each may be amended or terminated only with consent of the Board of Trustees.

[2] The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in other investment companies (the “Acquired Funds”). The Fund’s shareholders indirectly bear a pro rata portion of the expenses of the Acquired Funds in which the Fund invests. “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” in the table is an estimate of those expenses. The estimate is based upon the average allocation of the Fund’s investments in the Acquired Funds and upon the actual total operating expenses of the Acquired Funds (including any current waivers and expense limitations) for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018. Actual Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses incurred by the Fund may vary with changes in the allocation of Fund assets among the Acquired Funds and with other events that directly affect the fees and expenses of the Acquired Funds. Since “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are not directly borne by the Fund, they are not reflected in the Fund’s financial statements, with the result that the Information presented in the table will differ from that presented in the Financial Highlights.

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	MORGAN STANLEY PATHWAY FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 01, 2019
Alternative Strategies Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Alternative Strategies Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	<b>Investment objective</b>
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	Long term growth of capital.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	<b>Fund fees and expenses</b>
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	<b>Annual Advisory Program Fees</b><br/>(fees paid directly from your investment in the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	<b>Annual Fund Operating Expenses</b><br/>(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment in the Fund)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	January 1, 2020
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	<b>Portfolio turnover</b>
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 higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in total annual Fund operating expenses or in the above examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the period February 15, 2018 (inception of the Fund) through August 31, 2018, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 14% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	14.00%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, Based on Estimates [Text]	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesBasedOnEstimates	“Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” in the table is an estimate of those expenses. The estimate is based upon the average allocation of the Fund’s investments in the Acquired Funds and upon the actual total operating expenses of the Acquired Funds (including any current waivers and expense limitations) for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018.
Expenses Not Correlated to Ratio Due to Acquired Fund Fees [Text]	rr_ExpensesNotCorrelatedToRatioDueToAcquiredFundFees	Since “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are not directly borne by the Fund, they are not reflected in the Fund’s financial statements, with the result that the Information presented in the table will differ from that presented in the Financial Highlights.
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	<b>Examples</b>
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	These examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The effect of the Fund’s contractual fee waivers are only reflected in the first year of the example. The figures are calculated based upon total annual Fund operating expenses and a maximum annual fee of 2.0% for the applicable Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory program through which you invest. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	<b>Principal investment strategies</b>
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to generate long term growth across market cycles with reduced correlation to the equity and fixed income markets. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by allocating its assets among shares of mutual funds, exchange-traded funds or closed-end funds managed by third-party professional money managers (“Underlying Funds”). The Underlying Funds may apply a variety of alternative investment strategies, but will typically apply one or more of four main investment strategies, including: (i) investments in real asset strategies, (ii) equity-based tactical, value or event-driven strategies, (iii) absolute return strategies that seek to generate returns independent of market conditions, and (iv) equity hedged (i.e., long/short) strategies. The Underlying Funds’ investment strategies may rely in part on derivative investments, such as futures, forwards, swaps, swaptions, and options, to implement their investment strategies, to generate positive returns, for hedging or risk management purposes, to limit volatility and to provide exposure to an instrument without directly purchasing it. The Underlying Funds’ investments may also include exposure to companies located both in the U.S. and in foreign countries, including companies located in emerging market countries. The Underlying Funds may invest in securities and other investments of all capitalization sizes, including securities and other investment that have exposure to small- and mid-capitalization issues. The Underlying Funds may also invest in investment grade fixed income securities of any maturity or duration. The Fund may, in the future, allocate all or a portion of its assets directly to professional money managers (each, a “Sub-Adviser,” collectively, the “Sub-Advisers”), each of which would be responsible for investing its portion of the Fund’s assets.  Currently, the Fund does not use any Sub-Advisers. The Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Due to its investment strategy, the Fund may buy and sell securities and other instruments frequently.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	<b>Principal risks of investing in the Fund</b>
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The following principal risks are applicable to the Fund: Allocation Risk, which refers to the risk that the Adviser’s judgment about, and allocations among, strategies through investments in Underlying Funds may adversely affect the Fund’s performance. Closed-end fund risk, which means that since closed-end funds issue a fixed number of shares they typically trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or discount to their net asset value per share. The Fund will also bear its pro rata portion of any costs of a closed-end fund in which it invests. Investment company and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) risk, which is when the Fund invests in an investment company, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the investment company’s expenses. In addition, while the risks of owning shares of an investment company generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying investments of the investment company, the Fund may be subject to additional or different risks than if the Fund had invested directly in the underlying investments. Manager risk, which is the risk that poor selection of Underlying Funds by the Adviser will cause the Fund to underperform. Portfolio turnover risk, due to its investment strategy, the Fund may buy and sell securities frequently. This may result in higher transaction costs and additional capital gains tax liabilities. The following principal risks are applicable to the Fund’s investment in Underlying Funds: Absolute Return Investing Risk, which refers to the risk that an Underlying Fund’s investment returns may converge with the investment returns of equity or fixed income markets during a period of declining stock prices, thereby eliminating the diversification benefit that the Underlying Fund expects from the strategies. During these times, the strategies’ correlations could increase, which in turn could increase the Underlying Fund’s overall volatility. Active Management Risk, due to the active management investment strategies used by the Underlying Funds, the Underlying Funds could underperform their benchmark indexes and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Arbitrage Strategies Risk, which involves engaging in transactions that attempt to exploit price differences of identical, related or similar securities on different markets or in different forms. The Underlying Funds may realize losses or reduced rate of return if underlying relationships among securities in which they take investment positions change in an adverse manner or if a transaction is unexpectedly terminated or delayed. Trading to seek short-term capital appreciation can be expected to cause an Underlying Fund’s portfolio turnover rate to be substantially higher than that of the average equity-oriented investment company. Alternative Strategies Risk, pursued by the Underlying Funds may be subject to risks including, but not limited to, derivatives risk, liquidity risk, credit risk, commodities risk and risks associated with the use of leverage. Credit and Junk Bond Risk, which means the credit quality of an investment could cause an Underlying Fund to lose money. Non-investment grade securities (sometimes called “high yield securities” or “junk bonds”) involve greater risks of default or downgrade, are more volatile and may be more susceptible than other issuers to economic downturns. Such securities are subject to the risk that the issuer may not be able to pay interest or dividends and ultimately to repay principal upon maturity, which could substantially adversely affect the market value of the securities. Currency Risk, which refers to the risk that as a result of an Underlying Fund’s active positions in currencies and investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. Derivatives Risk, which means that an Underlying Fund’s use of futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions based on fixed income instruments to enhance returns or hedge against market declines subjects the Underlying Fund to potentially greater volatility and/or losses. Even a small investment in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can have a large impact on an Underlying Fund’s interest rate, securities market and currency exposure. Therefore, using futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when interest rates, stock prices or currency rates are changing. An Underlying Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on its investment in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Underlying Fund’s holdings. The other party to certain futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions presents the same types of credit risks as issuers of fixed income securities. Investing in futures, forwards, options, swaps and swaptions can also make the Underlying Fund’s assets less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets. Event-Linked Exposure Risk, event-linked exposure results in gains or losses that typically are contingent, or formulaically related to defined trigger events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, weather-related phenomena, or statistics relating to such events. If a trigger event occurs, an Underlying Fund may lose a portion of or the entire principal investment in the case of a bond or a portion of or the entire notional amount in the case of a swap. Event-linked exposure instruments often provide for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred, such extension of maturity may increase volatility. Event-linked exposure may also expose an Underlying Fund to liquidity risk and certain unanticipated risks including credit risk, counterparty risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences. Emerging Markets Risk, emerging markets countries may experience rising interest rates, or, more significantly, rapid inflation or hyperinflation. Emerging market securities may present market, credit, liquidity, legal, political and other risks different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign countries. An Underlying Fund also could experience a loss from settlement and custody practices in some emerging markets. Foreign Investment Risk, which means risks unique to foreign securities, including less information about foreign issuers, less liquid securities markets, political instability and unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. Foreign Sovereign Debt Securities Risk, the risks that (i) the governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be willing or able to repay the principal and/or interest when it becomes due, due to factors such as debt service burden, political constraints, cash flow problems and other national economic factors; (ii) governments may default on their debt securities, which may require holders of such securities to participate in debt rescheduling or additional lending to defaulting governments; and (iii) there is no bankruptcy proceeding by which defaulted sovereign debt may be collected in whole or in part. Interest Rate Risk, which is the risk that interest rates rise and fall over time, thereby affecting the value of certain investments of the Fund. Issuer Risk, which is the risk that the value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services. Investment Limitation Risk, which refers to the potential that the Fund may want to invest in an Underlying Fund that is not available in sufficient quantities for the Fund to participate fully due to capacity constraints of the strategy. The Fund may therefore have reduced exposure to a capacity constrained Underlying Fund, which could adversely affect the Fund’s return.   Leverage Risk, which means an Underlying Fund’s use of leverage may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and cause the Underlying Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to maintain asset coverage. Liquidity Risk exists when securities are difficult or impossible for an Underlying Fund to sell at the time and the price that the Underlying Fund would like due to a limited market or to legal restrictions. These securities may also need to be fair valued. Market Risk, which is the risk that an Underlying Fund will be affected by changes in the markets for the various securities in which the Underlying Fund invests. MLP Risk, which is the risk that, to the extent that an MLP’s interests are all in a particular industry, the MLP will be negatively impacted by economic events adversely impacting that industry. Additional risks of investing in an MLP also include those involved in investing in a partnership as opposed to a corporation, and the fact that MLPs may be subject to state taxation in certain jurisdictions which will have the effect of reducing the amount of income paid by the MLP to its investors. Short Sale Risk, selling short may produce higher than normal portfolio turnover, result in increased transaction costs and magnify the potential for both gain and loss to an Underlying Fund. Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk, which is the risk that small and medium capitalization companies in which the Underlying Funds invest may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. For more information on the risks of investing in the Fund please see the Fund details section of this Prospectus.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	<b>Performance</b>
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund commenced investment operations on February 15, 2018 and therefore has no performance history. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, performance information will be indicative of the risks of investing in the Fund by comparing the Fund’s performance relative to the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group. The Fund is available only to investors participating in Morgan Stanley-sponsored investment advisory programs. These programs charge an annual fee (see Annual Advisory Program Fees above). For future performance information please see www.morganstanley.com/cgcm.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, performance information will be indicative of the risks of investing in the Fund by comparing the Fund’s performance relative to the Fund’s benchmark index and Lipper peer group.
Performance One Year or Less [Text]	rr_PerformanceOneYearOrLess	The Fund commenced investment operations on February 15, 2018 and therefore has no performance history.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.morganstanley.com/cgcm
Alternative Strategies Fund | Alternative Strategies Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum annual fees in the TRAK® Pathway, Consulting Group Advisor, Select UMA or Portfolio Management investment advisory programs (as a percentage of prior quarter-end net assets)	rr_MaximumAccountFeeOverAssets	2.00%	[1]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	1.20%	[1]
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	9.80%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	1.36%	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	12.36%	[1]
Waiver	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(10.30%)	[1]
Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	2.06%	[1]
AFTER 1 YEAR	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 408
AFTER 3 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	3,042
AFTER 5 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	5,206
AFTER 10 YEARS	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	$ 9,074

[1] Effective January 1, 2019, CGAS (defined herein) has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses for a period of one year in order to keep the Fund’s management fees from exceeding the total amount of sub-advisory fees paid by CGAS plus 0.20% based on average net assets. Because the Fund does not currently have sub-advisers, CGAS will contractually waive 1.00% of its management fees. In addition, effective January 1, 2019, CGAS and its affiliates have also separately agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses in order to keep the Fund’s total annual operating expenses, (exclusive of interest from borrowing, brokerage commissions, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business), from exceeding 0.70%. Each of these contractual waiver arrangements shall remain in effect until January 1, 2020 and each may be amended or terminated only with consent of the Board of Trustees.

[2] The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in other investment companies (the “Acquired Funds”). The Fund’s shareholders indirectly bear a pro rata portion of the expenses of the Acquired Funds in which the Fund invests. “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” in the table is an estimate of those expenses. The estimate is based upon the average allocation of the Fund’s investments in the Acquired Funds and upon the actual total operating expenses of the Acquired Funds (including any current waivers and expense limitations) for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2018. Actual Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses incurred by the Fund may vary with changes in the allocation of Fund assets among the Acquired Funds and with other events that directly affect the fees and expenses of the Acquired Funds. Since “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” are not directly borne by the Fund, they are not reflected in the Fund’s financial statements, with the result that the Information presented in the table will differ from that presented in the Financial Highlights.

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	MORGAN STANLEY PATHWAY FUNDS
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 01, 2019
Document Creation Date	dei_DocumentCreationDate	Dec. 21, 2018