Retirement benefits - accumulated other comprehensive income (Details) - Pension Plan - USD ($) $ in Millions	Aug. 31, 2019	Aug. 31, 2018
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net actuarial (gain) loss	$ 92	$ (27)
Prior service cost	24	0
Total	$ 116	$ (27)

Amount, before tax, of accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss for defined benefit plan, that has not been recognized in net periodic benefit cost (credit).

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 10A
-Subparagraph (i-k)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118930883&loc=SL7669646-108580

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- Definition

Amount, before tax, of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for gain (loss) of defined benefit plan, that has not been recognized in net periodic benefit (cost) credit.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
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Amount, before tax, of accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss for cost (credit) of benefit change attributable to participants' prior service from plan amendment or plan initiation of defined benefit plan, that has not been recognized in net periodic benefit cost (credit).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118930883&loc=SL7669686-108580

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-Publisher FASB
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-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (j)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118255775&loc=d3e1928-114920

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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.

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