unpostedadj.1
/(ˌ)ʌnˈpəʊstᵻd/, U.S. /ˌənˈpoʊstəd/ rare before 20th cent.
Not advertised or made public. Later also spec.: not made available online. Now chiefly North American outside the specific use. On the overlap between the specific use and unposted adj.2 2, see note at post v.1 3g.
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1662 R. D. in Gratiæ Theatrales Ep. Ded. sig. *4v Though unposted yet, nor with applause Or acted here or there, the Comick Laws Are in them [sc. plays] so well kept, that [etc.].
1901 A. H. Smith China in Convulsion II. xxxvii. 723 In many districts these proclamations remain unposted, and the people are left in ignorance of his utterances.
1973 Black Panther 14 Apr. 6/1 For this alleged infraction of the unposted and undefined rules, the visit was immediately terminated.
1985 Computing Center Newsletter (Univ. Michigan) 1 Apr. 14/2 I reentered $message, but found that my unposted message had been destroyed.
2007 A. Reyes et al. Cyber Crime Investig. vii. 153 Susie's unposted blog entries on her life-as-a-brainy-15-year-old-girl are located on the storage device.
2014 Hamilton (Ont.) Spectator (Nexis) 8 Jan. hb16 I found it odd no one had informed me of the new, unposted start time.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2014; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
unpostedadj.2
/(ˌ)ʌnˈpəʊstᵻd/, U.S. /ˌənˈpoʊstəd/ 1. Not entered in a ledger or account book. Now rare.
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1678 J. Vernon Compl. Compting-house 222 Where-ever you meet with a Parcel that hath but one side of this Posting-line supplied with Figures, then there is one side unposted.
1792 Let. from Grave 34 These nefarious-harpies, will leave, in various parts of their books, such numbers unposted, as are most striking to the eye.
1869 J. Fox 100 Golden Rules Acct. Keeping 9 So complete a separation of the Account admits of the Principal Ledger being made up, and letting the Trade account remain, unposted, in the first books.
1906 J. W. Jones Life & Lett. Robert Edward Lee v. 138 The farmer left his plow in the furrow, the mechanic his job unfinished, the merchant his books unposted.
2. Of a letter, package, etc.: not put in the post; not sent by post.Uncommon in North American English.
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1842 Bengal Catholic Herald 27 Aug. 126/1 There was also found on the prisoner an unposted letter.
1944 D. Thomas Let. 28 Oct. (1987) 527 Today I found the letter, crumpled, unposted, in my overcoat.
2002 F. Mountain Pale as Dead (2004) i. 7 She..took the stiff white envelope out of her pocket, a Christmas card to Marcus, stamped and addressed but still unposted.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2014; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
unpostedadj.3
/(ˌ)ʌnˈpəʊstᵻd/, U.S. /ˌənˈpoʊstəd/ Chiefly Military.
Not placed or stationed; not appointed to a particular post.
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society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > soldier by position > [adjective] > having no post or position
unposted1775
1775 J. Ash New Dict. Eng. Lang. Unposted, not posted. [Posted, placed, stationed.]
1793 Asiatic Mirror 9 Oct. 1/3 Major Dawes will deliver over the charge of the 12th battalion to the senior Subaltern of that corps, and to remain unposted till further orders.
1860 W. H. Russell My Diary in India 1858–9 I. 4 A few younger men, unposted, who expected to be attached to Queen's regiments.
1978 A. Waugh Best Wine Last xiii. 160 One by one we were posted to other units. Finally only Gerald Wellesley and myself were left unposted.
2013 M. Alpert Republican Army in Spanish Civil War v. 88 Others remained unposted, or given only rearguard responsibilities.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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