| **Commitments, Contingencies, and Guarantees (Narrative) (Detail) (USD $)In Millions, unless otherwise specified** | Mar. 31, 2015                                                                                                                                          | Dec. 31, 2014                                                                                                                                          |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Property Lease Guarantee [Member]                                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                   |
| **Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                   |
| Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted                                                              | $ 41us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMaximumExposure/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis= us-gaap_PropertyLeaseGuaranteeMember              |                                                                                                                                                   |
| Guarantee and indemnification agreements [Member]                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                   |
| **Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                   |
| Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value                                                                      | 5us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis= cna_GuaranteeandindemnificationagreementsMember | 5us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis= cna_GuaranteeandindemnificationagreementsMember |
| Guarantee Obligations [Member]                                                                                     |                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                   |
| **Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                   |
| Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted                                                              | 375us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMaximumExposure/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis= us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMember                 |                                                                                                                                                   |
| Indemnification Agreement [Member]                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                   |
| **Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                   |
| Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted                                                              | 324us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMaximumExposure/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis= us-gaap_IndemnificationGuaranteeMember             |                                                                                                                                                   |
| Structured settlement annuities [Member]                                                                           |                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                   |
| **Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                   |
| Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted                                                              | $ 2,000us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMaximumExposure/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis= cna_StructuredsettlementannuitiesMember        |                                                                                                                                                   |

| 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                                                                                                                                                              |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - 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=cna_GuaranteeandindemnificationagreementsMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=cna_StructuredsettlementannuitiesMember**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:** |
| 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_PropertyLeaseGuaranteeMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |