The oscillations about a systems equilibrium position that occur in the absence

Oscillations that occur without any external excitation are defined as free vibrations. They are governed solely by the system's internal forces and initial conditions. While natural vibrations refer to the inherent frequencies of the system, the term 'free vibrations' directly describes the motion in the absence of external excitation. Damped vibrations can occur as a type of free vibration if damping is present, but the defining characteristic is the lack of external force, which matches free vibrations best.