Net Income Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	May 30, 2020	Jun. 01, 2019	May 30, 2020	Jun. 01, 2019
Net Income Per Share [Abstract]
Net income attributable to MSC Industrial as reported	$ 77,703	$ 79,601	$ 198,621	$ 222,257
Less: Distributed net income available to participating securities		(10)	(10)	(34)
Less: Undistributed net income available to participating securities		(19)		(66)
Undistributed and distributed net income available to common shareholders	77,703	79,572	198,611	222,157
Add: Undistributed net income allocated to participating securities		19		66
Less: Undistributed net income reallocated to participating securities		(19)		(66)
Undistributed and distributed net income available to common shareholders	$ 77,703	$ 79,572	$ 198,611	$ 222,157
Weighted average shares outstanding for basic net income per share	55,563	55,158	55,435	55,266
Effect of dilutive securities	36	229	146	290
Weighted average shares outstanding for diluted net income per share	55,599	55,387	55,581	55,556
Basic	$ 1.40	$ 1.44	$ 3.58	$ 4.02
Diluted	$ 1.40	$ 1.44	$ 3.57	$ 4.00
Potentially dilutive securities	1,933	1,093	1,417	939