Lexicography is a very special field of research, in which theory arises from concrete problems and practice moulds on theoretical assumptions in a way of working that is at the same time technical and innovative. The volume offers an overview of the main aspects of the state of art of lexicographical research in Europe, with contributions concerning both historical and synchronic dictionaries and a wide spectrum of the main European languages (French, English, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish). Several contributions show the beneficial effects deriving from the close connection between modern lexicography and information technology, which in the last few years profoundly changed the way of designing, realising and using dictionaries. An appendix contains some reflections on lexicography and translation, one of the most important functional goals for both monolingual and bilingual dictionaries.