https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08648
One of the \(3N - 6\) (\(3N - 5\) for a linear molecule) modes of vibration that would add to give the total vibrational motion in a molecule if the interatomic potential were strictly quadratic in the displacements from equilibrium.
Note: Normal modes of vibration is an idealized concept that has proved extremely useful in analysing spectra in vibrational spectroscopy.