The Q-factor tells you something about the frequency response of a drive**n** system to a constant amplitude drive**r** when a steady state (constant amplitude of drive**n** system) has been reached.  
The drive**r** supplies energy to the drive**n** system which at steady state results in the energy stored in the drive**n** system staying constant (constant amplitude) and there is also a constant rate of energy (power) dissipation from the drive**n** system..
 
With a non-driven system there is no input of energy into the system and so the energy (amplitude) of the oscillating system just decreases with time.  
The Q-value is ratio of the total energy stored in the oscillating system (at some time)  divided by the energy lost in the following single cycle.  
For small amounts of damping (large values of Q) the Q-value is the number of oscillation such that the amplitude drops off to approximately $\frac {1}{25}^{\rm th}$ of its original value.  
The Q-value is also equal to $\frac{\pi f_0}{\alpha}$ where $f_0$ is the natural frequency of the undamped oscillator and $\alpha$ appears in the term ${\rm e}^{-\alpha t}$, where $t$ is the time, which controls the rate at which the amplitude of the oscillations decay.  

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I have just found out that this is a duplicate question - [Definition of the Q-factor?][1]


  [1]: https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/148077/definition-of-the-q-factor