A social club or social organization may be a group of people or the place where they meet, generally formed around a common interest, occupation or activity with in an organizational association known as a club. Examples include book discussion clubs, chess clubs, country clubs, final clubs, strip clubs, fishing clubs, gaming clubs, women's clubs, gentlemen's clubs, private member’s clubs, hunting clubs, military officers' clubs, political clubs, religious clubs (such as Christian fellowships), traditional fraternal organizations, service clubs, fraternities and sororities (Greek-letter organizations), business networking clubs, science clubs, hobbyist clubs, informal professional associations, and university clubs. The term can also refer to a criminal headquarters, such as the Ravenite Social Club or the Cage.

This article covers only three distinct types of social clubs – the historic gentlemen's clubs, the modern activities clubs, and an introduction to fraternities and sororities. This article does not cover a variety of other types of clubs having some social characteristics. Social clubs have commonly been used by the Italian-American Mafia and other organized crime groups as headquarters, fronts, and meeting places, with many mob crews even being named after the club where they are based (The Palma Boys Crew, The Gemini Crew, The Veterans & Friends Crew).