| **Disclosures About Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities - Reconciliation of Beginning and Ending Balances of Recurring Fair Value Measurements using Significant Unobservable Level 3 Inputs (Details) (Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring, Available for Sale Securities, USD $)In Thousands, unless otherwise specified** | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|----------------|
||
| Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Available for Sale Securities                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |           |           |   |   |
| **Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]**                                                                                                                                                                                                             |           |           |   |   |
| Balance at beginning of the period                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | $ 11,494       | $ 17,678       | $ 9,977 | $ 18,328 |
| Included in net income                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |      |      |   |   |
| Included in other comprehensive income                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 835            | 140            | 2,893 | (35) |
| Purchases, issuances and settlements                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |      |      |   |   |
| Transfers in/(out) of Level 3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |      |      |    |   |
| Principal payments                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | (4,796)        | 97             | (5,337) | (378) |
| Ending balance                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | $ 7,533        | $ 17,915       | $ 7,533 | $ 17,915 |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation, Recurring Basis, Asset, Principal Payments
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**frme_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetPrincipalPayments**Namespace Prefix:**frme_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of gain (loss) recognized in the income statement for financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (c)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of gain (loss) recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) for financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (c)(1a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of purchases, (sales), issuances and (settlements) of financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph c -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of transfer of financial instrument classified as an asset into (out of) level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetTransfersNet**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Fair value of financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetValue**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |