This panel discussion traditionally features reports devoted to issues in the ontology, functioning, scientific and lexicographic description of the Russian vocabulary from the synchronic and diachronic perspectives. The range of issues raised in messages and reports over the recent years includes the following: the word in language and speech; the word in a literary text; the cognitive potential of the word; a comparative study of the Russian vocabulary and other Slavic vocabularies; lexicographic representation  of the Russian word in language and speech; and so on. The panel discussion is attended by both well-known lexicologists and doctoral students, as well as other aspiring scientists.