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Investments - Narrative (Details) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Nov. 30, 2014 | Nov. 30, 2013 | Nov. 30, 2014 | Nov. 30, 2013 | May 31, 2014 | Apr. 30, 2014
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Investments | $ 456,864,000 us-gaap_Investments |  | $ 456,864,000 us-gaap_Investments |  | $ 458,357,000 us-gaap_Investments |
Cash surrender value of insurance policies | 97,500,000 us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueOfLifeInsurance |  | 97,500,000 us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueOfLifeInsurance |  | 86,500,000 us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueOfLifeInsurance |
Cost method investments | 2,000,000 us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments |  | 2,000,000 us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments |  | 800,000 us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments |
Cost-method investments, losses due to impairment | 0 us-gaap_ImpairmentOfInvestments | 0 us-gaap_ImpairmentOfInvestments | 0 us-gaap_ImpairmentOfInvestments | 0 us-gaap_ImpairmentOfInvestments |  |
Gain on deconsolidation of Shredding business | 0 us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount | 0 us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount | 6,619,000 us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount | 0 us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount |  |
Dividends received on equity method investment |  |  | 5,247,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromEquityMethodInvestmentDividendsOrDistributionsReturnOfCapital | 0 us-gaap_ProceedsFromEquityMethodInvestmentDividendsOrDistributionsReturnOfCapital |  |
Shred-it Partnership |  |  |  |  |  |
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity method investments | 341,000,000 us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = ctas_ShreditPartnershipMember |  | 341,000,000 us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = ctas_ShreditPartnershipMember |  | 341,400,000 us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = ctas_ShreditPartnershipMember |
Percentage of newly formed partnership owned by Cintas |  |  |  |  |  | 42.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = ctas_ShreditPartnershipMember
Equity method investment, recorded at fair value |  |  |  |  |  | 339,400,000 us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = ctas_ShreditPartnershipMember
Other Equity Method Investments |  |  |  |  |  |
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity method investments | 16,400,000 us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = ctas_OtherEquityMethodInvestmentsMember |  | 16,400,000 us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = ctas_OtherEquityMethodInvestmentsMember |  | 29,700,000 us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = ctas_OtherEquityMethodInvestmentsMember |
Dividends received on equity method investment |  |  | 5,247,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromEquityMethodInvestmentDividendsOrDistributionsReturnOfCapital / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = ctas_OtherEquityMethodInvestmentsMember |  |  |
Cash received from sale of equity method investment |  |  | 35,200,000 ctas_EquityMethodInvestmentGrossTransactionProceeds / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = ctas_OtherEquityMethodInvestmentsMember |  |  |
Gain on sale of stock of an equity method investment, net of tax |  |  | $ 13,600,000 ctas_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossonDisposalNetofTax / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = ctas_OtherEquityMethodInvestmentsMember |  |  |

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- Definition Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of amounts which could be received based on the terms of the insurance contract upon surrendering life policies owned by the entity. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.17) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 17 -Article 5 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (d) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28358313&loc=d3e6812-107765 + Details
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