Debt Instrument, Borrowing Period

No definition available.

Name:	ayi_DebtInstrumentBorrowingPeriod
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- Definition

Debt Instrument, Borrowing Period, Number of Installments

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment, Maturity, Percent of Principal

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Terms, Interest Coverage Ratio, Minimum

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Terms, Leverage Ratio, Maximum

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Period of time between issuance and maturity of debt instrument, in PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of the cost of borrowed funds accounted for as interest expense.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
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+ Details

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest revenue (income derived from investments in debt securities and on cash and cash equivalents) net of interest expense (cost of borrowed funds accounted for as interest).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
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-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 22
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+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount before accretion (amortization) of purchase discount (premium) of interest income on nonoperating securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
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+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The total amount of the contingent obligation under letters of credit outstanding as of the reporting date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

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+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for the line of credit facility regardless of whether the facility has been used.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of current borrowing capacity under the credit facility considering any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed (for example, borrowings may be limited by the amount of current assets), but without considering any amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Section 50
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+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=ayi_RevolvingCreditFacilityMaturingAugust272019Member
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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Period Type:

- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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Debt and Lines of Credit (Details)		3 Months Ended
Debt and Lines of Credit (Details)	Jun. 29, 2018 USD ($) installment	Nov. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2017 USD ($)
Interest Revenue (Expense), Net [Abstract]
Interest expense		$ 9,200,000	$ 8,700,000
Interest income		(500,000)	(600,000)
Interest expense, net		8,700,000	8,100,000
Lines of Credit
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Executed revolving credit facility	$ 800,000,000
Minimum interest coverage ratio	2.5
Maximum leverage ratio	3.5
Outstanding letters of credit		9,500,000
Lines of Credit \| Minimum
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Facility fee (percent)	0.125%
Lines of Credit \| Maximum
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Facility fee (percent)	0.25%
Lines of Credit \| New Revolving Credit Facility
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Executed revolving credit facility	$ 400,000,000
Revolving credit facility term	5 years
Borrowings outstanding		0
Lines of Credit \| Unsecured Delayed Draw Term Loan
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Executed revolving credit facility	$ 400,000,000
Period over which borrowings are allowed	1 year
Number of separate installments allowed during borrowing period \| installment	4
Lines of Credit \| Previous Credit Facility
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Borrowings outstanding			$ 0
Lines of Credit \| Revolving Credit Facility Maturing August 27, 2019
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Additional borrowing capacity under revolving credit facility		794,700,000
Letters of Credit \| Revolving Credit Facility Maturing August 27, 2019
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Outstanding letters of credit		5,300,000
Senior unsecured public notes \| Senior Unsecured Notes Maturing December 2019
Debt Instruments [Abstract]
Debt outstanding		$ 350,000,000
Interest rate (percent)		6.00%
Industrial revenue bond \| Industrial Revenue Bond Maturing in 2021
Debt Instruments [Abstract]
Debt outstanding		$ 4,000,000
Bank loans \| 2016 Fixed-rate Bank Loans
Debt Instruments [Abstract]
Debt outstanding		$ 3,100,000
Eurocurrency Rate \| Lines of Credit \| New Revolving Credit Facility \| Minimum
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Applicable margins based on company's leverage ratio, percentage	1.00%
Eurocurrency Rate \| Lines of Credit \| New Revolving Credit Facility \| Maximum
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Applicable margins based on company's leverage ratio, percentage	1.375%
Eurocurrency Rate \| Lines of Credit \| Unsecured Delayed Draw Term Loan \| Minimum
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Applicable margins based on company's leverage ratio, percentage	0.875%
Eurocurrency Rate \| Lines of Credit \| Unsecured Delayed Draw Term Loan \| Maximum
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Applicable margins based on company's leverage ratio, percentage	1.25%
Base rate \| Lines of Credit \| New Revolving Credit Facility \| Minimum
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Applicable margins based on company's leverage ratio, percentage	0.00%
Base rate \| Lines of Credit \| New Revolving Credit Facility \| Maximum
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Applicable margins based on company's leverage ratio, percentage	0.375%
Base rate \| Lines of Credit \| Unsecured Delayed Draw Term Loan \| Minimum
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Applicable margins based on company's leverage ratio, percentage	0.00%
Base rate \| Lines of Credit \| Unsecured Delayed Draw Term Loan \| Maximum
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Applicable margins based on company's leverage ratio, percentage	0.25%
Year one \| Lines of Credit \| Unsecured Delayed Draw Term Loan
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Quarterly payment (percent)	2.50%
Year two \| Lines of Credit \| Unsecured Delayed Draw Term Loan
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Quarterly payment (percent)	2.50%
Year three \| Lines of Credit \| Unsecured Delayed Draw Term Loan
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Quarterly payment (percent)	5.00%
Year four \| Lines of Credit \| Unsecured Delayed Draw Term Loan
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Quarterly payment (percent)	5.00%
Year five and after \| Lines of Credit \| Unsecured Delayed Draw Term Loan
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Quarterly payment (percent)	7.50%