Equity and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015	Feb. 10, 2015
Equity and Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Payment for repurchase of common stock	$ 5,000,000,000
Common shares issued from Treasury stock	9.8
Treasury stock aggregate value	400,000,000
February 2015 Accelerated Stock Repurchase
Equity and Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Accelerated Share Repurchase		5,000,000,000
Payment for repurchase of common stock		4,250,000,000
Number of shares repurchased		86.2
Expected Total Payment related to February 2015 Accelerated Stock Repurchase
Equity and Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Payment for repurchase of common stock		$ 5,000,000,000

The cash outflow to reacquire common stock during the period.

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Financing Activities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6513228

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 15

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3291-108585

+ Details

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

- Definition

Number of treasury shares (units) reissued during the period, excluding reissuance of shares (units) held in treasury used to satisfy equity-based compensation obligations exercised by the holders of such rights. Upon reissuance of shares (units) from treasury, either the common or preferred stock (unit) reissued is outstanding.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesTreasuryStockReissued
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Equity impact of the value of treasury stock (units) reissued during the period, excluding reissuance of shares (units) held in treasury used to satisfy equity-based compensation obligations exercised by the holders of such rights. Upon reissuance of shares (units) from treasury, either the common or preferred stock (unit) reissued is outstanding.

+ References

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Article 3

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21463-112644

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

-SubTopic 30

-Section 45

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6405813&loc=d3e23239-112655

+ Details

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

- Definition

Number of shares that have been repurchased and retired during the period.

+ References

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Article 3

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21463-112644

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 29, 30

-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockRepurchasedAndRetiredDuringPeriodShares
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of stock repurchase plan authorized.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramAuthorizedAmount1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	vz_EquityAndComprehensiveIncomeLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	vz_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesDateAxis=vz_ExpectedTotalPaymentRelatedToFebruaryTwentyFifteenAcceleratedStockRepurchaseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AcceleratedShareRepurchasesDateAxis=vz_FebruaryTwentyFifteenAcceleratedStockRepurchaseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: