<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2013-05-01</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2013-05-03</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000880177</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>PEREGRINE SEMICONDUCTOR CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>PSMI</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001551396</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Monetti Gary</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O PEREGRINE SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>9380 CARROLL PARK DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SAN DIEGO</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>92121</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>9.50</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2013-05-01</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>10899</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>9.50</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2023-05-01</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>10899</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>10899</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Subject to continuous service, the option is exercisable in 12 successive equal monthly installments from April 1, 2015.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">This amended report corrects the transaction code on the original report to reflect that the acquisition of the option grant reported in Table II was an exempt acquisition under Rule 16b-3(d) and not an open market or other non-exempt acquisition.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">This amended report corrects the Table II, Column 9 end-of-period holdings to exclude options held by the reporting person that do not have the same expiration date and exercise price as the option grant reflected on this report.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Jay Biskupski as Attorney-in-fact for Gary A. Monetti</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2013-07-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
