สังฆราช

• สังฆราชา

From สังฆ (sǎng-ká-, “clergy”) +‎ ราช (râat, “king; male chief, head, or leader”); ultimately from Pali saṅgharāja (“pontiff”), from saṅgha (“clergy”) + rāja (“monarch”), possibly via Old Khmer saṅgharāja (“head of a (Buddhist) congregation”). Compare Modern Khmer សង្ឃរាជ (sɑɑngkhɔɔriəc).

สังฆราช • (sǎng-ká-râat) (classifier รูป or องค์)

1. (Buddhism)
   1. (พระ~, สมเด็จพระ~) supreme patriarch: leader of a national Buddhist clergy.
   2. (พระ~) leader of any Buddhist clergy.
2. (Roman Catholicism) (พระ~) bishop.
3. (พระ~) chief priest; high priest; hierarch; patriarch.

In regards to the Buddhist clergy of Thailand, the present term refers to a supreme patriarch who is a commoner. If he is a royal person, the term สังฆราชเจ้า is used instead.