An honorary or honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Individuals are elected to honorary societies based on based on meritorious conduct, and membership is by invitation only. They are most commonly found in academia and professional organizations, though governments also often provide civilian honorary societies, especially in the arts and sciences.

For a list of example honorary societies, see Wikipedia's (very much incomplete) list.

Academic honor societies

• Golden Key International Honour Society
• Phi Beta Kappa
• Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

Professional honor societies

General societies

• Canada
  • Royal Society of Canada
• China
  • Chinese Academy of Science
  • Academia Sinica (now on Taiwan)
• France
  • L'Académie française
  • Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres
  • Académie des sciences
  • Académie des beaux-arts
  • Académie des sciences morales et politiques
• United Kingdom
  • Royal Society
  • Royal Society of Engineering
  • British Academy
• United States
  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • National Academy of Science
  • National Academy of Engineering

Specific professions