The article examines the question of appearance and functionality of the term of potebniansntvo. The lexical and semantical options of the name of potebnianstvo, its modern interpretation and understanding. The definition of this term according to the lexicographical sources has been analyzed. The meaning of the concept word potebnianstvo in the interpretations of apprenticies, followers and adherents of Potebnia’s scientific views has been identified. It has been accentuated on the history of appearance of this term rooted in multilateral personality of O.O. Potebnia himself on the one hand, and on the history of the Kharkiv Philological School on the other hand.On the basis of materials from the Potebnians’ memoirs (A. H. Hornfeld, V. I. Khartsiev, D. I. Bahaliy, D. I. Ovsianyko-Kulykovskiy, M. F. Sumtsov, O. V. Vetukhov), features of the scientific and pedagogical creativity of O. O. Potebnia have been characterized and theoretical and methodological aspects of multilateral activity of the scholar, that laid as the basis of his scientific school, which received the name of potebnianstvo, have been outlined.The primary meaning of potebnianstvo, originaly invented and interpreted in the scientific works of O. V. Vetukhov (“Potebnianstvo” (1923), “Acad. M. Sumtsov and potebnianstvo” (1926), D. Bahaliy “Oleksandr Opanasovych Potebnia” (1924), M. Sumtsov “To the history of scientific influence O. O. Potebnija” (1926)) has been revealed and its semantical content – spiritual basis, the development of scientific ideas of O. O. Potebnia, followers of Potebnia, the scientific legacy of O. O. Potebnia, scientific school of O. O. Potebnia – has been identified.The evolution of the term of potebnianstvo after the 1930s, when, due to the world-picture and ideological tendencies, it was removed from the scientific discourse and became negativelly treated, has been traced.It has been stressed that the concept word of potebnianstvo was used by apprenticies, followers and adherents of O. O. Potebnia’s scientific views as the expression of the master’s circle and using of the master’s ideas in an interpretation of new elements of the humanitarian knowledge. The meaning of the concept word of neopotebnianstvo used in the modern literature studies has been identified.