Supplemental Guarantor Information - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	May 31, 2017		May 31, 2016		May 31, 2015	May 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 169,266		$ 139,357		$ 417,073	$ 513,288
Marketable securities	22,219		70,405
Accounts receivable, net	736,008		546,488
Inventories, net	278,218		249,362
Uniforms and other rental items in service	635,702		538,286
Income taxes, current	44,320		1,712
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	30,132		25,948
Assets held for sale	38,613		19,021
Total current assets	1,954,478		1,590,579
Property and equipment, at cost, net	1,323,501		993,692
Goodwill	2,782,335		1,276,076		1,180,094
Service contracts, net	586,988		78,194
Other assets, net	31,967		14,283
Long-term assets held for sale	0		21,039
Total assets	6,844,057		4,098,815		4,185,674
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	177,051		110,940
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	149,635		101,391
Accrued liabilities	429,809		343,266
Liabilities held for sale	11,457		9,958
Debt due within one year	362,900		250,000
Total current liabilities	1,130,852		815,555
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	2,770,624		1,044,422
Deferred income taxes	469,328		259,475
Accrued liabilities	170,460		136,704
Total long-term liabilities	3,410,412		1,440,601
Total shareholders' equity	2,302,793		1,842,659		1,932,455	2,192,858
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	6,844,057		4,098,815
Investments	164,788	[1]	124,952	[2]
Eliminations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0		0	0
Marketable securities	0		0
Accounts receivable, net	0		0
Inventories, net	(1,386)		(3,845)
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(18,993)		(19,722)
Income taxes, current	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0		0
Assets held for sale	0		0
Total current assets	(20,379)		(23,567)
Property and equipment, at cost, net	0		0
Goodwill	(112)		(112)
Service contracts, net	0		0
Other assets, net	(5,000,837)		(4,414,772)
Long-term assets held for sale			0
Total assets	(11,423,807)		(8,248,053)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	38,108		38,005
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	0		0
Accrued liabilities	0		0
Liabilities held for sale	0		0
Debt due within one year	0		0
Total current liabilities	38,108		38,005
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	0		0
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Accrued liabilities	0		0
Total long-term liabilities	0		0
Total shareholders' equity	(11,461,915)		(8,286,058)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	(11,423,807)		(8,248,053)
Investments	(6,402,479)	[1]	(3,809,602)	[2]
Cintas Corporation | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0		0	0
Marketable securities	0		0
Accounts receivable, net	0		0
Inventories, net	0		0
Uniforms and other rental items in service	0		0
Income taxes, current	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0		0
Assets held for sale	0		0
Total current assets	0		0
Property and equipment, at cost, net	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Service contracts, net	0		0
Other assets, net	1,516,463		1,081,203
Long-term assets held for sale			0
Total assets	1,837,546		1,402,286
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(465,247)		(465,247)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	0		0
Accrued liabilities	0		0
Liabilities held for sale	0		0
Debt due within one year	0		0
Total current liabilities	(465,247)		(465,247)
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	0		0
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Accrued liabilities	0		0
Total long-term liabilities	0		0
Total shareholders' equity	2,302,793		1,867,533
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	1,837,546		1,402,286
Investments	321,083	[1]	321,083	[2]
Corp. 2
Long-term liabilities:
Investments	29,000		15,500
Corp. 2 | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	48,658		57,894		74,632	73,743
Marketable securities	0		0
Accounts receivable, net	543,769		413,645
Inventories, net	243,677		222,822
Uniforms and other rental items in service	531,295		448,395
Income taxes, current	16,173		(151)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	13,234		6,708
Assets held for sale	23,095		19,021
Total current assets	1,419,901		1,168,334
Property and equipment, at cost, net	851,018		614,111
Goodwill	0		0
Service contracts, net	505,698		75,941
Other assets, net	14,705		0
Long-term assets held for sale			5,521
Total assets	6,396,779		3,634,210
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(1,596,731)		(1,775,092)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	94,505		72,959
Accrued liabilities	191,819		78,471
Liabilities held for sale	11,457		9,958
Debt due within one year	362,900		250,000
Total current liabilities	(936,050)		(1,363,704)
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	2,770,234		1,044,032
Deferred income taxes	0		(427)
Accrued liabilities	28,384		19,628
Total long-term liabilities	2,798,618		1,063,233
Total shareholders' equity	4,534,211		3,934,681
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	6,396,779		3,634,210
Investments	3,605,457	[1]	1,770,303	[2]
Subsidiary Guarantors
Long-term liabilities:
Investments	135,800		109,500
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	17,302		55,391		248,716	399,322
Marketable securities	0		0
Accounts receivable, net	137,881		97,516
Inventories, net	21,466		19,150
Uniforms and other rental items in service	78,012		73,001
Income taxes, current	25,138		1,215
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	16,188		18,278
Assets held for sale	15,518		0
Total current assets	311,505		264,551
Property and equipment, at cost, net	364,724		305,636
Goodwill	2,742,898		1,241,145
Service contracts, net	0		13
Other assets, net	3,489,653		3,338,742
Long-term assets held for sale			15,518
Total assets	7,838,437		6,067,377
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	2,292,388		2,296,493
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	42,866		23,052
Accrued liabilities	219,303		251,217
Liabilities held for sale	0		0
Debt due within one year	0		0
Total current liabilities	2,554,557		2,570,762
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	0		0
Deferred income taxes	436,613		252,149
Accrued liabilities	140,923		116,091
Total long-term liabilities	577,536		368,240
Total shareholders' equity	4,706,344		3,128,375
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	7,838,437		6,067,377
Investments	929,657	[1]	901,772	[2]
Non- Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	103,306		26,072		$ 93,725	$ 40,223
Marketable securities	22,219		70,405
Accounts receivable, net	54,358		35,327
Inventories, net	14,461		11,235
Uniforms and other rental items in service	45,388		36,612
Income taxes, current	3,009		648
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	710		962
Assets held for sale	0		0
Total current assets	243,451		181,261
Property and equipment, at cost, net	107,759		73,945
Goodwill	39,549		35,043
Service contracts, net	81,290		2,240
Other assets, net	11,983		9,110
Long-term assets held for sale			0
Total assets	2,195,102		1,242,995
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(91,467)		16,781
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	12,264		5,380
Accrued liabilities	18,687		13,578
Liabilities held for sale	0		0
Debt due within one year	0		0
Total current liabilities	(60,516)		35,739
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	390		390
Deferred income taxes	32,715		7,753
Accrued liabilities	1,153		985
Total long-term liabilities	34,258		9,128
Total shareholders' equity	2,221,360		1,198,128
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	2,195,102		1,242,995
Investments	$ 1,711,070	[1]	$ 941,396	[2]

[1] Investments include inter company investment activity. Corp 2 and Subsidiary Guarantors hold $29.0 million and $135.8 million, respectively, of the $164.8 million consolidated net investments.

[2] Investments include inter company investment activity. Corp 2 and Subsidiary Guarantors hold $15.5 million and $109.5 million, respectively, of the $125.0 million consolidated net investments.