<?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>0001132299</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>MARINA OSCAR E</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O ELIZABETH ARDEN, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>880 SW 145 AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>PEMBROKE PINES</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>FL</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>33027</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>EVP, Gen. Counsel &amp; Secretary</officerTitle>
        </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>62205</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>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>9.33</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <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>10700</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2019-08-17</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock, $.01 par value</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>10700</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>9.63</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <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>14500</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2025-08-10</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock, $.01 par value</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>14500</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Includes 9,967 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 (&quot;Common Stock&quot;) 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>
        <footnote id="F2">Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, on the Closing Date, each of the Issuer's outstanding stock options, whether vested or unvested, was canceled and exchanged for the right to receive a cash payment equal to the product of (i) the number of shares of the Issuer's Common Stock subject to the option multiplied by (ii) the excess (if any) of $14.00 over the per share exercise price of the option, less any required withholding taxes.  Each outstanding stock option that had an exercise price that was equal to or greater than $14.00 was canceled for no consideration.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Oscar E. Marina</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-09-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
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X0306
4
2016-09-07
1
0000095052
ELIZABETH ARDEN INC
RDEN
0001132299
MARINA OSCAR E
C/O ELIZABETH ARDEN, INC.
880 SW 145 AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR
PEMBROKE PINES
FL
33027
0
1
0
0
EVP, Gen. Counsel & Secretary
Common Stock, $.01 par value
2016-09-07
4
D
0
62205
D
0
D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)
9.33
2016-09-07
4
D
0
10700
D
2019-08-17
Common Stock, $.01 par value
10700
0
D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)
9.63
2016-09-07
4
D
0
14500
D
2025-08-10
Common Stock, $.01 par value
14500
0
D
Includes 9,967 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 ("Common Stock") 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.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, on the Closing Date, each of the Issuer's outstanding stock options, whether vested or unvested, was canceled and exchanged for the right to receive a cash payment equal to the product of (i) the number of shares of the Issuer's Common Stock subject to the option multiplied by (ii) the excess (if any) of $14.00 over the per share exercise price of the option, less any required withholding taxes.  Each outstanding stock option that had an exercise price that was equal to or greater than $14.00 was canceled for no consideration.
Oscar E. Marina
2016-09-09