Marketable Securities - Available-for-Sale Marketable Securities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Nov. 19, 2016	Aug. 27, 2016
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 100,257	$ 98,166
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	91	266
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(318)	(81)
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Fair Value	100,030	98,351
Corporate Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	40,006	37,789
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	58	198
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(50)	(6)
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Fair Value	40,014	37,981
Government Bonds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	32,725	33,497
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains		24
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(197)	(35)
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Fair Value	32,528	33,486
Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	6,229	6,865
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	15	18
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(34)	(29)
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Fair Value	6,210	6,854
Asset-Backed Securities and Other [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	21,297	20,015
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	18	26
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(37)	(11)
Available-For-Sale Marketable Securities, Fair Value	$ 21,278	$ 20,030

Amount of investment in debt and equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65884222&loc=d3e22054-111558

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (aa)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27232-111563

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66010992&loc=d3e26610-111562

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount before tax of unrealized gain in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investments in debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedGainBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount before tax of unrealized loss in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investments in debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the cost of debt and equity securities, which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading, net of adjustments including accretion, amortization, collection of cash, previous other-than-temporary impairments recognized in earnings (less any cumulative-effect adjustments recognized, as defined), and fair value hedge accounting adjustments, if any.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfAvailableForSaleSecuritiesLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=us-gaap_USGovernmentAgenciesDebtSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=us-gaap_MortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=azo_AssetBackedSecuritiesAndOtherMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: