| **Commitments and Contingencies, and Guarantees (Narrative) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions** | Sep. 30, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|---------------|
| Property Lease Guarantee [Member]                                                              |          |          |
| **Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                            |          |          |
| Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted                                          | $ 12          |          |
| Guarantee and Indemnification [Member]                                                         |          |          |
| **Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                            |          |          |
| Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value                                                  | 5             | $ 5           |
| Guarantee agreement [Member]                                                                   |          |          |
| **Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                            |          |          |
| Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted                                          | 375           |          |
| Indemnification Agreement [Member]                                                             |          |          |
| **Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                            |          |          |
| Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted                                          | 258           |          |
| Guarantee Obligations [Member]                                                                 |          |          |
| **Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                            |          |          |
| Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted                                          | $ 1,900       |          |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The current carrying amount of the liability for the freestanding or embedded guarantor's obligations under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6851643&loc=d3e12069-110248
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted) the guarantor could be required to make under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees before reduction for potential recoveries under recourse or collateralization provisions.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (b)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6851643&loc=d3e12069-110248
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMaximumExposure**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_LossContingenciesLineItems**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                               |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=us-gaap_PropertyLeaseGuaranteeMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=cna_GuaranteeandIndemnificationMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                                       |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=cna_GuaranteeagreementMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=us-gaap_IndemnificationGuaranteeMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                                             |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |