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

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2017-03-02</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000097216</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>TEREX CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>TEX</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001140106</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>COHEN ERIC I</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>TEREX CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>200 NYALA FARM ROAD</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>WESTPORT</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>06880</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Senior V.P., Secy. Gen Counsel</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, par value $.01</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-03-02</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>20041</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>217915</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, par value $.01</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-03-02</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>10020</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>227935</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, par value $.01</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-03-02</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>10020</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>237955</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, par value $.01</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-03-03</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>4443</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>31.81</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>233512</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, par value $.01</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>5929</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>401(k) plan</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Shares granted pursuant to one of the Company's long-term incentive plans with the award vesting as follows: 1/3 on March 2, 2018; 1/3 on March 2, 2019 and 1/3 on March 2, 2020.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Shares granted pursuant to one of the Company's long-term incentive plans with the award scheduled to vest in the first quarter of 2020 if the Company achieves a targeted percentile rank against a peer group of companies for three year annualized total shareholder return (&quot;TSR&quot;) for the period January 1, 2017 - December 31, 2019.  The number of shares in this grant are subject to adjustment, up or down, based upon attainment above or below the targeted percentile rank.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Shares granted pursuant to one of the Company's long-term incentive plans with the award scheduled to vest in the first quarter of 2020 if the Company achieves a targeted return on invested capital (&quot;ROIC&quot;) in each of 2017, 2018 and 2019.  The number of shares in this grant are subject to adjustment, up or down, based upon attainment above or below the targeted ROIC.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Shares are being withheld for payment of the tax liability associated with the scheduled vesting of previously granted restricted stock awards.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/Scott J. Posner, by power of attorney</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-03-06</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
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X0306
4
2017-03-02
0000097216
TEREX CORP
TEX
0001140106
COHEN ERIC I
TEREX CORPORATION
200 NYALA FARM ROAD
WESTPORT
CT
06880
0
1
0
0
Senior V.P., Secy. Gen Counsel
Common Stock, par value $.01
2017-03-02
4
A
0
20041
0
A
217915
D
Common Stock, par value $.01
2017-03-02
4
A
0
10020
0
A
227935
D
Common Stock, par value $.01
2017-03-02
4
A
0
10020
0
A
237955
D
Common Stock, par value $.01
2017-03-03
4
F
0
4443
31.81
D
233512
D
Common Stock, par value $.01
5929
I
401(k) plan
Shares granted pursuant to one of the Company's long-term incentive plans with the award vesting as follows: 1/3 on March 2, 2018; 1/3 on March 2, 2019 and 1/3 on March 2, 2020.
Shares granted pursuant to one of the Company's long-term incentive plans with the award scheduled to vest in the first quarter of 2020 if the Company achieves a targeted percentile rank against a peer group of companies for three year annualized total shareholder return ("TSR") for the period January 1, 2017 - December 31, 2019.  The number of shares in this grant are subject to adjustment, up or down, based upon attainment above or below the targeted percentile rank.
Shares granted pursuant to one of the Company's long-term incentive plans with the award scheduled to vest in the first quarter of 2020 if the Company achieves a targeted return on invested capital ("ROIC") in each of 2017, 2018 and 2019.  The number of shares in this grant are subject to adjustment, up or down, based upon attainment above or below the targeted ROIC.
Shares are being withheld for payment of the tax liability associated with the scheduled vesting of previously granted restricted stock awards.
/s/Scott J. Posner, by power of attorney
2017-03-06