a. [UN-1 8.]
1. Not acted or carried out in action; unperformed.
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 527. The fault vnknowne, is as a thought vnacted.
1613. Sherley, Trav. Persia, 52. To leaue no meanes vnacted which might both assure them more, and him selfe with them.
a. 1688. Jordan, Muses Melody, To his disdainful Mistress, 17. Must I For some offence unacted, or unknown, Be tortur’d thus?
1706. [? Prior]. Ep. after Battle of Ramillies, 290. My sons lament, in distant dungeons thrown, Unacted crimes, and follies not their own.
1789. W. Blake, Marr. Heaven & Hell, Proverbs. Sooner murder an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires.
1825. Scott, Talism., xvii. I would buy with every jewel I have, that our fatal jest had remained unacted.
b. Const. on, upon.
1794. G. Adams, Nat. & Exp. Philos., III. xxiv. 21. A mass of [units] lying together, unacted upon by a mechanical material agency.
1825. T. Hook, Sayings, Ser. II. Passion & Princ., iv. I wish you to peruse it alone, and unacted upon by any extraneous influence.
1857. Miller, Elem. Chem., Org., 67. The second portion remains unacted on in the liquid.
2. Not acted upon; unformed. rare–1.
1700. W. Shippen, in Rowe, Amb. Step-Moth., III. ii. When Matter yet unacted lay.
3. Not performed on the stage. Also absol. as sb., those whose plays are not acted. In recent use.
