Acquisitions - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
Feb. 28, 2014	Feb. 28, 2013
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Recognized gain from previously held equity interest	$ 11,000,000
TWB
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase of additional interest	17,869,000
Fair value inputs, control premium	10.00%
Net sales	213,252,000
Earnings before income taxes	14,488,000
Proforma net sales	2,289,424,000	2,161,147,000
TWB \| Joint Venture Transactions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of additional interest acquired by the company	10.00%
Purchase of additional interest	17,869,000
Percent of controlling interest by the company	55.00%
Previously held percentage of ownership interest	45.00%
Recognized gain from previously held equity interest	11,000,000
Business Acquisition, Date of Acquisition Agreement	Jul. 31, 2013
Worthington Aritas
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of additional interest acquired by the company	75.00%
Business Acquisition, Date of Acquisition Agreement	Jan. 24, 2014
Percent of interest owned by noncontrolling interest	25.00%
Total consideration for acquired entity	35,231,000
Contingent consideration estimated fair value	310,000
Additional consideration to the former owners	2,000,000
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization	$ 5,000,000

Date when the business acquisition agreement was executed, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Percentage of voting equity interests acquired at the acquisition date in the business combination.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

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The pro forma revenue for a period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of the period.

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Amount of consideration transferred, consisting of acquisition-date fair value of assets transferred by the acquirer, liabilities incurred by the acquirer, and equity interest issued by the acquirer.

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- Definition

For contingent consideration arrangements recognized in connection with a business combination, this element represents an estimate of the high-end of the potential range (undiscounted) of the consideration which may be paid.

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This element represents the amount of earnings or loss of the acquiree since the acquisition date included in the consolidated income statement for the reporting period.

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This element represents the amount of revenue of the acquiree since the acquisition date included in the consolidated income statement for the reporting period.

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- Definition

Percentage of equity in the acquiree held by the acquirer immediately before the acquisition date in a business combination.

+ References

No definition available.

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In a business combination achieved in stages, this element represents the amount of net gain (loss) recognized by the entity as a result of remeasuring to fair value the equity interest in the acquiree it held before the business combination.

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Fair value of contingent consideration in a business combination that is classified in shareholders' equity.

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Percentage above fair value that an investor seeking to acquire control of an entity will pay, used as an input to measure fair value.

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The equity interest of noncontrolling shareholders, partners or other equity holders in consolidated entity.

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No definition available.

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The parent entity's interest in net assets of the subsidiary, expressed as a percentage.

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- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of business during the period. The cash portion only of the acquisition price.

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-Glossary Investing Activities

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Business Acquisition Contingent Consideration Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization EBITDA Requirement

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No definition available.

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