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Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

No definition available.

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The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

No definition available.

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Amount of restructuring charges, remediation cost, and asset impairment loss.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

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Aggregate revenue during the period from the sale of goods in the normal course of business, after deducting returns, allowances and discounts.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

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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.

No definition available.

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Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=gis_NorthAmericaRetailSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=gis_ConvenienceStoresAndFoodserviceSegmentMember
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Data Type:	na
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Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=gis_EuropeAndAustraliaSegmentMember
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