Condensed Consolidated Statements Of Shareholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Class A Common Stock [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Class A Common Stock [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Class A Common Stock [Member] Treasury Stock [Member]	Class A Common Stock [Member]	Class B Common Stock [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Class B Common Stock [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Class B Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-In-Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Total Shareholders' Equity Attributable to MSC Industrial [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Total
Balance, Value at Sep. 01, 2018	$ 55				$ 10			$ 657,749	$ 1,325,822	$ (19,634)	$ (576,748)
Associate Incentive Plans								14,323			497
Net Income									74,232					$ 74,232
Repurchase and retirement of common stock, Value	(1)							(11,887)	(48,439)
Repurchases of common stock, Value			$ (3,200)	$ (63,527)
Cash dividends on common stock		$ (28,436)				$ (6,422)
Dividend equivalents declared, net of cancellations									(268)
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment										(1,341)				(1,341)
Balance, Value at Dec. 01, 2018	54				10			660,185	1,316,489	(20,975)	(579,451)	$ 1,376,312		1,376,312
Dividends declared per common share				$ 0.63			$ 0.63
Balance, Value at Aug. 31, 2019	46				10			659,226	946,651	(22,776)	(104,607)		$ 5,329	1,483,879
Associate Incentive Plans								9,442			926
Net Income									65,418				34	65,418
Repurchase and retirement of common stock, Value
Repurchases of common stock, Value			$ (3,009)	$ (3,009)
Cash dividends on common stock		$ (33,891)				$ (7,645)
Dividend equivalents declared, net of cancellations									(394)
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment										1,466			140	1,606
Balance, Value at Nov. 30, 2019	$ 46				$ 10			$ 668,668	$ 970,139	$ (21,310)	$ (106,690)	$ 1,510,863	$ 5,503	$ 1,516,366
Dividends declared per common share				$ 0.75			$ 0.75