MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS AFFECTING SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY - Company's Share Purchase Activity (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Aug. 31, 2017	Aug. 31, 2016	Aug. 31, 2015
Share Purchase and Redemption Activity [Line Items]
Accenture plc Class A Ordinary Shares (in shares)		21,257,759
Accenture plc Class A Ordinary Shares		$ 2,552,880	$ 2,532,796	$ 2,273,933
Accenture Holdings plc Ordinary Shares and Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. Exchangeable Shares (in shares)		799,411
Accenture Holdings plc ordinary shares and Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. Exchangeable Shares		$ 96,171	$ 72,193	$ 179,056
Open-market share purchases (1)
Share Purchase and Redemption Activity [Line Items]
Accenture plc Class A Ordinary Shares (in shares)	[1]	18,045,830
Accenture plc Class A Ordinary Shares	[1]	$ 2,171,130
Accenture Holdings plc Ordinary Shares and Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. Exchangeable Shares (in shares)	[1]	0
Accenture Holdings plc ordinary shares and Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. Exchangeable Shares	[1]	$ 0
Other share purchase programs
Share Purchase and Redemption Activity [Line Items]
Accenture plc Class A Ordinary Shares (in shares)		0
Accenture plc Class A Ordinary Shares		$ 0
Accenture Holdings plc Ordinary Shares and Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. Exchangeable Shares (in shares)		799,411
Accenture Holdings plc ordinary shares and Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. Exchangeable Shares		$ 96,171
Other purchases (2)
Share Purchase and Redemption Activity [Line Items]
Accenture plc Class A Ordinary Shares (in shares)	[2]	3,211,929
Accenture plc Class A Ordinary Shares	[2]	$ 381,750
Accenture Holdings plc Ordinary Shares and Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. Exchangeable Shares (in shares)	[2]	0
Accenture Holdings plc ordinary shares and Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. Exchangeable Shares	[2]	$ 0

[1] The Company conducts a publicly announced open-market share purchase program for Accenture plc Class A ordinary shares. These shares are held as treasury shares by Accenture plc and may be utilized to provide for select employee benefits, such as equity awards to the Company’s employees.

[2] 2017, as authorized under the Company’s various employee equity share plans, the Company acquired Accenture plc Class A ordinary shares primarily via share withholding for payroll tax obligations due from employees and former employees in connection with the delivery of Accenture plc Class A ordinary shares under those plans. These purchases of shares in connection with employee share plans do not affect the Company’s aggregate available authorization for the Company’s publicly announced open-market share purchase and the other share purchase programs.