Molecular vibrations that are not totally symmetrical give rise to depolarized lines [P. Atkins and J. de Paula, Atkins' Physical Chemistry (Oxford University Press, UK, 2006), p. 464]. But in the case of stretching vibrations in centrosymmetric molecules, the statement has so far not been conclusively verified. It is the purpose of this article to report a rigorous experimental and theoretical analysis of the 2₃ band of CO₂-the first overtone of the asymmetrical stretch vibration. The anisotropic spectrum was extracted and its spectral moment calculated from light-scattering measurements, taken at room temperature and for a wide range of CO₂-gas densities. Evidence for a near-entirely depolarized Raman band is provided, with integrated depolarization ratio i_nt=67.16, closely approaching the upper bound m_ax=67. Agreement with theoretical predictions is found, on the basis of quality ab initio data for polarizability properties, provided that electro-optical and mechanical anharmonicity and intermode coupling effects between symmetric ₁ and antisymmetric ₃ stretching vibrations are incorporated.