Rialto Segment (Narrative) (Details)		1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		Nov. 30, 2014 USD ($)	May 31, 2014 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2016 USD ($) transaction	Aug. 31, 2015 USD ($) transaction	Nov. 30, 2011	Nov. 30, 2010 USD ($) business financial_institutions property loans	Nov. 30, 2015 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2013 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests				$ (2,711,000)	$ 1,725,000	$ 4,230,000	$ 5,247,000
Assets	[1]			14,998,720,000		14,998,720,000				$ 14,419,509,000
Liabilities	[2]			8,235,814,000		8,235,814,000				8,469,437,000
Originations of loans receivable						56,507,000	22,545,000
Rialto
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loan impairments				4,300,000	4,500,000	11,100,000	7,300,000
Net earnings (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests				(6,000,000.0)	(2,000,000.0)	(10,600,000)	(4,500,000)
Assets	[1]			1,196,653,000		1,196,653,000				1,505,500,000
Liabilities	[2]			632,562,000		632,562,000				866,224,000
Accrual loans				83,721,000		83,721,000				76,132,000
Average recorded investment in impaired loans						75,000,000	112,000,000
Loss upon acquisition of REO				(400,000)	(300,000)		(100,000)
Gain upon acquisition of REO						1,600,000
Borrowings under facilities	[2]			$ 576,448,000		$ 576,448,000				771,728,000
Percentage interest in loans				75.00%		75.00%
Maximum percentage of LLC equity units employees are eligible to receive as part of carried interest incentive plan								40.00%
Investments held-to-maturity				$ 60,928,000		$ 60,928,000				25,625,000
Investment in private commercial real estate services company												$ 18,000,000
Rialto | 2.85% Structured Notes
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Debt proceeds as a percentage of face value			100.00%
Interest rate			2.85%
Senior notes and other debts payable				27,900,000		27,900,000				31,300,000
Rialto | 5.0% Structured Notes
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Debt proceeds as a percentage of face value		99.50%
Interest rate		5.00%
Rialto | Warehouse Repurchase Facility
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Borrowings under facilities				106,600,000		106,600,000				317,100,000
Rialto | Senior Notes | 7.00% Senior Notes due 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount													$ 350,000,000
Interest rate													7.00%
Senior notes and other debts payable				348,500,000		348,500,000				347,900,000
Rialto | Senior Notes | 2.85% Structured Notes
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount			$ 73,800,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt			$ 69,100,000
Rialto | Senior Notes | 5.0% Structured Notes
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount		$ 20,800,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt		$ 20,700,000
Rialto | Rialto Mortgage Finance
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Originations of loans receivable						1,200,000,000	2,000,000,000.0
Proceeds from sale of loans held-for-sale						$ 1,300,000,000	$ 1,600,000,000
Number of securitization transactions | transaction						7	8
Receivables from securitization										151,800,000
Rialto | Rialto Mortgage Finance | Performing Financing Receivable
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Originations of loans receivable						$ 55,700,000
Rialto | Rialto Mortgage Finance | Held-for-sale
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Originations of loans receivable						1,200,000,000
Rialto | Commercial Property Loan
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Accrual loans				83,700,000		83,700,000
Rialto | Bank Portfolios
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of distressed residential and commercial real estate loans | loans									400
Number of real estate owned properties acquired | property									300
Number of financial institutions | financial_institutions									3
Aggregate principal amount									$ 124,000,000
Payments to acquire investments									$ 310,000,000
Senior notes and other debts payable				30,300,000		30,300,000				30,300,000
Term of note									5 years
Rialto | Real Estate Funds
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Advanced distributions from unconsolidated entities				2,100,000	5,000,000.0	9,500,000	$ 16,200,000
Rialto | CMBS
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Investments held-to-maturity				60,900,000		60,900,000				25,600,000	[1]
Impairment charges for CMBS securities				0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Rialto | CMBS | Minimum [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Discount rate as a percentage of face value for held-to-maturity securities						39.00%
Coupon rate for held-to-maturity securities						2.20%
Rialto | CMBS | Maximum [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Discount rate as a percentage of face value for held-to-maturity securities						55.00%
Coupon rate for held-to-maturity securities						4.00%
Rialto | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets				251,500,000		$ 251,500,000				355,200,000
Liabilities				12,100,000		12,100,000				11,300,000
Rialto | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | FDIC Portfolio
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets				251,500,000		251,500,000				355,200,000
Liabilities				$ 12,100,000		$ 12,100,000				$ 11,300,000
Rialto | FDIC Portfolio
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Managing member equity interests acquired									40.00%
Number of businesses acquired | business									2

[1] Under certain provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 810, Consolidations, (“ASC 810”) the Company is required to separately disclose on its condensed consolidated balance sheets the assets owned by consolidated variable interest entities (“VIEs”) and liabilities of consolidated VIEs as to which neither Lennar Corporation, or any of its subsidiaries, has any obligations.As of August 31, 2016, total assets include $596.6 million related to consolidated VIEs of which $9.7 million is included in Lennar Homebuilding cash and cash equivalents, $0.1 million in Lennar Homebuilding receivables, net, $46.9 million in Lennar Homebuilding finished homes and construction in progress, $113.8 million in Lennar Homebuilding land and land under development, $127.0 million in Lennar Homebuilding consolidated inventory not owned, $4.6 million in Lennar Homebuilding investments in unconsolidated entities, $16.5 million in Lennar Homebuilding other assets, $251.5 million in Rialto assets and $26.6 million in Lennar Multifamily assets.As of November 30, 2015, total assets include $652.3 million related to consolidated VIEs of which $9.6 million is included in Lennar Homebuilding cash and cash equivalents, $0.5 million in Lennar Homebuilding receivables, net, $3.9 million in Lennar Homebuilding finished homes and construction in progress, $154.2 million in Lennar Homebuilding land and land under development, $58.9 million in Lennar Homebuilding consolidated inventory not owned, $35.8 million in Lennar Homebuilding investments in unconsolidated entities, $22.7 million in Lennar Homebuilding other assets, $355.2 million in Rialto assets and $11.5 million in Lennar Multifamily assets.

[2] As of August 31, 2016, total liabilities include $136.8 million related to consolidated VIEs as to which there was no recourse against the Company, of which $2.7 million is included in Lennar Homebuilding accounts payable, $108.4 million in Lennar Homebuilding liabilities related to consolidated inventory not owned, $1.7 million in Lennar Homebuilding other liabilities, $12.1 million in Rialto liabilities and $11.9 million in Lennar Multifamily liabilities.As of November 30, 2015, total liabilities include $84.4 million related to consolidated VIEs as to which there was no recourse against the Company, of which $2.0 million is included in Lennar Homebuilding accounts payable, $51.4 million in Lennar Homebuilding liabilities related to consolidated inventory not owned, $15.6 million in Lennar Homebuilding other liabilities, $11.3 million in Rialto liabilities and $4.0 million in Lennar Multifamily liabilities.