Revenue - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Aug. 31, 2019 USD ($) Segment	May 31, 2019 USD ($) Segment
Revenue From Contract With Customer [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments \| Segment	4	3
Revenue performance obligation description of payment terms	Payment terms and conditions vary by contract type, although our customers’ payment terms generally include a requirement to pay within 30 to 60 days of fulfilling our performance obligations.
Revenue, Practical Expedient, Financing Component [true false]	false
Net contract assets (liabilities)	$ 3,330
Long-term deferred revenue	$ 65,600	$ 66,500

Change in net contract with customer asset liability.

No definition available.

Name:	rpm_ChangeInNetContractWithCustomerAssetLiability
Namespace Prefix:	rpm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration has been received or is receivable, classified as noncurrent.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118944033&loc=SL49130532-203044

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118944033&loc=SL49130531-203044

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130549-203045

+ Details

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

- Definition

Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Description of payment terms in contract with customer. Includes, but is not limited to, timing of payment, existence of financing component, variability of consideration and constraint on variable consideration.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130554-203045

+ Details

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

- Definition

Indicates (true false) whether practical expedient was elected not to adjust consideration for effect of financing component when transfer and customer payment for product or service occurs within one year or less.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 22
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130569-203045

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:booleanItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration