Supplemental Guarantor Information - Consolidating Condensed Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended						9 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2019	Nov. 30, 2018	Aug. 31, 2018	Feb. 28, 2018	Nov. 30, 2017	Aug. 31, 2017	Feb. 28, 2019	Feb. 28, 2018
Revenue:
Revenue	$ 1,682,330			$ 1,589,138			$ 5,098,573	$ 4,807,082
Equity in net income of affiliates	0			0			0	0
Total revenue	1,682,330			1,589,138			5,098,573	4,807,082
Costs and expenses (income):
Selling and administrative expenses	476,099			490,618			1,472,404	1,444,985
G&K Services, Inc. integration expenses	799			9,821			13,496	26,866
Operating income	278,255			200,024			819,123	684,334
Gain on sale of a cost method investment	0			0			69,373	0
Interest income	(70)			(384)			(957)	(972)
Interest expense (income)	26,770			25,901			75,954	85,347
Income before income taxes	251,555			174,507			813,499	599,959
Income taxes	50,632			(121,282)			157,035	5,325
Income from continuing operations	200,923			295,789			656,464	594,634
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	2,411			6,306			2,398	61,781
Net income	203,334	$ 243,013	$ 212,515	302,095	$ 137,109	$ 217,211	658,862	656,415
Eliminations
Revenue:
Equity in net income of affiliates	(200,923)			(295,789)			(656,464)	(594,634)
Total revenue	(429,160)			(494,578)			(1,372,971)	(1,199,883)
Costs and expenses (income):
Selling and administrative expenses	(8,156)			(7,155)			(26,721)	(20,274)
G&K Services, Inc. integration expenses	0			0			0	0
Operating income	(196,929)			(296,353)			(648,118)	(593,338)
Gain on sale of a cost method investment							0
Interest income	3			2			5	2
Interest expense (income)	0			0			0	0
Income before income taxes	(196,932)			(296,355)			(648,123)	(593,340)
Income taxes	(19)			(50)			(77)	(94)
Income from continuing operations	(196,913)			(296,305)			(648,046)	(593,246)
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	(2,411)			(6,257)			(2,398)	(61,732)
Net income	(199,324)			(302,562)			(650,444)	(654,978)
Cintas Corporation | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Equity in net income of affiliates	200,923			295,789			656,464	594,634
Total revenue	200,923			295,789			656,464	594,634
Costs and expenses (income):
Selling and administrative expenses	0			0			0	0
G&K Services, Inc. integration expenses	0			0			0	0
Operating income	200,923			295,789			656,464	594,634
Gain on sale of a cost method investment							0
Interest income	0			0			0	0
Interest expense (income)	0			0			0	0
Income before income taxes	200,923			295,789			656,464	594,634
Income taxes	0			0			0	0
Income from continuing operations	200,923			295,789			656,464	594,634
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	2,411			6,306			2,398	61,781
Net income	203,334			302,095			658,862	656,415
Corp. 2 | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Equity in net income of affiliates	0			0			0	0
Total revenue	1,611,888			1,496,226			4,898,506	4,545,603
Costs and expenses (income):
Selling and administrative expenses	527,720			491,924			1,608,906	1,531,248
G&K Services, Inc. integration expenses	(141)			5,101			8,508	10,814
Operating income	98,974			80,708			294,060	243,793
Gain on sale of a cost method investment							0
Interest income	(56)			(103)			(559)	(179)
Interest expense (income)	26,872			26,105			76,579	86,110
Income before income taxes	72,158			54,706			218,040	157,862
Income taxes	12,330			(88,275)			42,159	(57,256)
Income from continuing operations	59,828			142,981			175,881	215,118
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	2,411			7,269			2,398	71,643
Net income	62,239			150,250			178,279	286,761
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Equity in net income of affiliates	0			0			0	0
Total revenue	176,831			169,364			542,963	504,573
Costs and expenses (income):
Selling and administrative expenses	(74,507)			(28,110)			(207,745)	(161,065)
G&K Services, Inc. integration expenses	(379)			3,968			2,754	14,722
Operating income	166,425			112,094			490,719	409,246
Gain on sale of a cost method investment							69,373
Interest income	1			(24)			(364)	(182)
Interest expense (income)	(104)			(207)			(639)	(659)
Income before income taxes	166,528			112,325			561,095	410,087
Income taxes	35,665			(38,777)			107,497	50,760
Income from continuing operations	130,863			151,102			453,598	359,327
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	0			(1,012)			0	(9,911)
Net income	130,863			150,090			453,598	349,416
Non- Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Equity in net income of affiliates	0			0			0	0
Total revenue	121,848			122,337			373,611	362,155
Costs and expenses (income):
Selling and administrative expenses	31,042			33,959			97,964	95,076
G&K Services, Inc. integration expenses	1,319			752			2,234	1,330
Operating income	8,862			7,786			25,998	29,999
Gain on sale of a cost method investment							0
Interest income	(18)			(259)			(39)	(613)
Interest expense (income)	2			3			14	(104)
Income before income taxes	8,878			8,042			26,023	30,716
Income taxes	2,656			5,820			7,456	11,915
Income from continuing operations	6,222			2,222			18,567	18,801
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	0			0			0	0
Net income	6,222			2,222			18,567	18,801
Uniform Rental and Facility Services
Revenue:
Revenue	1,358,322			1,284,516			4,124,038	3,904,338
Cost of revenue	748,971			718,138			2,256,543	2,148,961
Uniform Rental and Facility Services | Eliminations
Revenue:
Revenue	(10,925)			(44,917)			(86,008)	(144,374)
Cost of revenue	(39,275)			(70,156)			(166,737)	(220,314)
Uniform Rental and Facility Services | Cintas Corporation | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	0			0			0	0
Cost of revenue	0			0			0	0
Uniform Rental and Facility Services | Corp. 2 | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	1,092,594			1,059,184			3,365,841	3,245,720
Cost of revenue	612,167			617,276			1,896,767	1,867,547
Uniform Rental and Facility Services | Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	176,787			169,308			542,826	504,523
Cost of revenue	111,103			106,066			332,208	311,039
Uniform Rental and Facility Services | Non- Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	99,866			100,941			301,379	298,469
Cost of revenue	64,976			64,952			194,305	190,689
Other
Revenue:
Revenue	324,008			304,622			974,535	902,744
Cost of revenue	178,206			170,537			537,007	501,936
Other | Eliminations
Revenue:
Revenue	(217,312)			(153,872)			(630,499)	(460,875)
Cost of revenue	(184,800)			(120,914)			(531,395)	(365,957)
Other | Cintas Corporation | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	0			0			0	0
Cost of revenue	0			0			0	0
Other | Corp. 2 | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	519,294			437,042			1,532,665	1,299,883
Cost of revenue	373,168			301,217			1,090,265	892,201
Other | Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	44			56			137	50
Cost of revenue	(25,811)			(24,654)			(74,973)	(69,369)
Other | Non- Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Revenue	21,982			21,396			72,232	63,686
Cost of revenue	$ 15,649			$ 14,888			$ 53,110	$ 45,061