<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2016-09-07</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000095052</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ELIZABETH ARDEN INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>RDEN</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001203097</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SHIRLEY EDWARD D</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O TIME WARNER CABLE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>60 COLUMBUS CIRCLE, 16TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10023</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, $.01 par value</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-09-07</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>10405</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Includes 5,700 service-based restricted stock units (&quot;SBRSU&quot;).  Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated June 16, 2016 (the &quot;Merger Agreement&quot;) by and among the Issuer and Revlon, Inc., Revlon Consumer Products Corporation, and RR Transaction Corp., on September 7, 2016 (the &quot;Closing Date&quot;) (i) each share of the Issuer's common stock, par value $.01 per share, held by the Reporting Person immediately prior to the Effective Time (as defined in the Merger Agreement), was converted into the right to receive $14.00 in cash per share, less any required withholding taxes; and (ii) each SBRSU held by the Reporting Person subject to vesting conditions became fully vested, was canceled, and was converted into the right to receive $14.00 in cash for each SBRSU, less any required withholding taxes.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>EDWARD D. SHIRLEY</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-09-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
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X0306
4
2016-09-07
1
0000095052
ELIZABETH ARDEN INC
RDEN
0001203097
SHIRLEY EDWARD D
C/O TIME WARNER CABLE
60 COLUMBUS CIRCLE, 16TH FLOOR
NEW YORK
NY
10023
1
0
0
0
Common Stock, $.01 par value
2016-09-07
4
D
0
10405
D
0
D
Includes 5,700 service-based restricted stock units ("SBRSU").  Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated June 16, 2016 (the "Merger Agreement") by and among the Issuer and Revlon, Inc., Revlon Consumer Products Corporation, and RR Transaction Corp., on September 7, 2016 (the "Closing Date") (i) each share of the Issuer's common stock, par value $.01 per share, held by the Reporting Person immediately prior to the Effective Time (as defined in the Merger Agreement), was converted into the right to receive $14.00 in cash per share, less any required withholding taxes; and (ii) each SBRSU held by the Reporting Person subject to vesting conditions became fully vested, was canceled, and was converted into the right to receive $14.00 in cash for each SBRSU, less any required withholding taxes.
EDWARD D. SHIRLEY
2016-09-09