This article evokes the prominent figure of Stelian Dumistrăcel (1937-2022), philologist, linguist, literary historian and essayist, who through his contributions in sociolinguistics, pragmatics and public discourse, promoted, both as a scientific researcher and and as a university professor, the Romanian linguistic and cultural values, the freedom of thought, manifesting himself as a defender of the field of research from the positions of intransigence, correctness and openness to a wider knowledge.