Supplemental Guarantor Information - Consolidating Condensed Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Nov. 30, 2018	Jun. 01, 2018	May 31, 2018	Nov. 30, 2017	May 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 88,479		$ 138,724	$ 236,002	$ 169,266
Accounts receivable, net	904,062	$ 818,009	804,583
Inventories, net	321,874	269,082	280,347
Uniforms and other rental items in service	758,246		702,261
Income taxes, current	36,595		19,634
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	106,614	95,846	32,383
Total current assets	2,215,870	2,043,556	1,977,932
Property and equipment, net	1,410,530		1,382,730
Investments	183,548		175,581
Goodwill	2,845,244		2,846,888
Service contracts, net	521,505		545,768
Other assets, net	228,386	216,818	29,315
Total assets	7,405,083	7,211,341	6,958,214	6,978,801
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	211,900		215,074
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	117,645		140,654
Accrued liabilities	611,641		420,129
Debt due within one year	173,500		0
Total current liabilities	1,114,686		775,857
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	2,536,408		2,535,309
Deferred income taxes	435,461	416,516	352,581
Accrued liabilities	291,284		277,941
Total long-term liabilities	3,263,153	3,229,766	3,165,831
Total shareholders’ equity	3,027,244	3,205,718	3,016,526
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	7,405,083	$ 7,211,341	6,958,214
Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Investments	183,500		175,600
Eliminations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0		0
Inventories, net	2,461		0
Uniforms and other rental items in service	(16,958)		(18,589)
Income taxes, current	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0		0
Total current assets	(14,497)		(18,589)
Property and equipment, net	0		0
Investments	(6,409,479)		(6,407,479)
Goodwill	(112)		(112)
Service contracts, net	0		0
Other assets, net	(7,001,057)		(6,591,606)
Total assets	(13,425,145)		(13,017,786)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	37,631		37,947
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	0		0
Accrued liabilities	0		0
Debt due within one year	0
Total current liabilities	37,631		37,947
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	(13,462,776)		(13,055,733)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	(13,425,145)		(13,017,786)
Cintas Corporation | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	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
Total current assets	0		0
Property and equipment, net	0		0
Investments	321,083		321,083
Goodwill	0		0
Service contracts, net	0		0
Other assets, net	2,240,914		2,230,196
Total assets	2,561,997		2,551,279
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(465,247)		(465,247)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	0		0
Accrued liabilities	0		0
Debt due within one year	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	3,027,244		3,016,526
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	2,561,997		2,551,279
Corp. 2 | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	47,771		44,499	42,126	48,658
Accounts receivable, net	689,606		620,920
Inventories, net	267,335		225,581
Uniforms and other rental items in service	624,589		585,108
Income taxes, current	10,875		5,546
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	75,840		9,453
Total current assets	1,716,016		1,491,107
Property and equipment, net	923,931		900,014
Investments	3,596,134		3,595,668
Goodwill	0		0
Service contracts, net	449,590		468,283
Other assets, net	203,378		593
Total assets	6,889,049		6,455,665
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(1,828,417)		(1,724,844)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	88,374		104,560
Accrued liabilities	87,221		88,949
Debt due within one year	173,500
Total current liabilities	(1,479,322)		(1,531,335)
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	2,536,018		2,534,919
Deferred income taxes	291,233		215,881
Accrued liabilities	61,597		63,073
Total long-term liabilities	2,888,848		2,813,873
Total shareholders’ equity	5,479,523		5,173,127
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	6,889,049		6,455,665
Investments, including intercompany investments	18,100		17,600
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	9,759		60,310	83,515	17,302
Accounts receivable, net	143,378		120,767
Inventories, net	34,467		38,844
Uniforms and other rental items in service	90,914		81,494
Income taxes, current	16,362		9,258
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	29,394		21,688
Total current assets	324,274		332,361
Property and equipment, net	376,274		370,186
Investments	957,740		950,239
Goodwill	2,584,875		2,579,769
Service contracts, net	0		0
Other assets, net	4,783,008		4,381,476
Total assets	9,026,171		8,614,031
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	2,495,759		2,395,434
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	18,410		24,878
Accrued liabilities	504,186		308,485
Debt due within one year	0
Total current liabilities	3,018,355		2,728,797
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	0		0
Deferred income taxes	110,089		104,559
Accrued liabilities	213,289		198,181
Total long-term liabilities	323,378		302,740
Total shareholders’ equity	5,684,438		5,582,494
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	9,026,171		8,614,031
Investments, including intercompany investments	165,400		158,000
Non- Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	30,949		33,915	$ 110,361	$ 103,306
Accounts receivable, net	71,078		62,896
Inventories, net	17,611		15,922
Uniforms and other rental items in service	59,701		54,248
Income taxes, current	9,358		4,830
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,380		1,242
Total current assets	190,077		173,053
Property and equipment, net	110,325		112,530
Investments	1,718,070		1,716,070
Goodwill	260,481		267,231
Service contracts, net	71,915		77,485
Other assets, net	2,143		8,656
Total assets	2,353,011		2,355,025
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(27,826)		(28,216)
Accrued compensation and related liabilities	10,861		11,216
Accrued liabilities	20,234		22,695
Debt due within one year	0
Total current liabilities	3,269		5,695
Long-term liabilities:
Debt due after one year	390		390
Deferred income taxes	34,139		32,141
Accrued liabilities	16,398		16,687
Total long-term liabilities	50,927		49,218
Total shareholders’ equity	2,298,815		2,300,112
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ 2,353,011		$ 2,355,025