| **Investment Securities - Narrative (Details) (USD $)In Thousands, unless otherwise specified** | 3 Months Ended                                                                                                                                         | 12 Months Ended                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
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| **Schedule of Available for sale Securities and Held to maturity Securities [Line Items]**      |                                                                                                                                                   |                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                     |   |
| Carrying value of securities pledged as collateral                                              | $ 458,131frme_SecuritiesPledgedAsCollateral                                                                                                            |                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                     | $ 449,408frme_SecuritiesPledgedAsCollateral |
| Book value of securities sold under agreements to repurchase                                    | 129,110us-gaap_AssetsSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseCarryingAmounts                                                                                    |                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                     | 120,027us-gaap_AssetsSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseCarryingAmounts |
| Net realized gains on sales of available for sale securities                                    | 1,025us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossNet                                                                                        | 581us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossNet |                                                                                                                                                                                                     |   |
| Corporate obligations                                                                           |                                                                                                                                                   |                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                     |   |
| **Schedule of Available for sale Securities and Held to maturity Securities [Line Items]**      |                                                                                                                                                   |                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                     |   |
| Net impairment losses recognized in earnings                                                    |                                                                                                                                                   |                                                          | 500us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedInEarningsNetAvailableforsaleSecurities/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis= us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember |   |
| Net realized gains on sales of available for sale securities                                    | $ 45us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossNet/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis= us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember |                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                     |   |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
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| - Details**Name:**frme_ScheduleOfAvailableForSaleSecuritiesAndHeldToMaturitySecuritiesLineItems**Namespace Prefix:**frme_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
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| - Definition
Securities Pledged as Collateral
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**frme_SecuritiesPledgedAsCollateral**Namespace Prefix:**frme_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |
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| - Definition
Carrying amount of assets sold under agreements to repurchase when the carrying amount (or market value, if higher than the carrying amount) of securities or other assets sold under repurchase agreements exceeds 10 percent of total assets.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(m)(1)(i)(A)(i)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph m -Subparagraph 1 -Article 4
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_AssetsSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseCarryingAmounts**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
This item represents the difference between the gross realized gains and losses realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities. Additionally, this item would include any losses recognized for other than temporary impairments (OTTI) of the subject investments in debt and equity securities.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27357-111563
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossNet**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The amount of other than temporary impairment losses on investments in debt and equity securities categorized as Available-for-sale which have been recognized in earnings during the period. Such impairment losses consist of other than temporary impairments (OTTI) on equity securities, credit losses on investments in debt securities, and when the entity intends to sell an impaired debt security or it is more likely than not that the entity will be required to sell the impaired debt security before recovery of its amortized cost basis.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27161-111563
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedInEarningsNetAvailableforsaleSecurities**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                             |
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