Final answer:
The Latin phrase 'prohibitum' refers to the concept that an action may be a crime in one society or culture but not in another, highlighting the variability of criminal law across different societal and legal contexts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Latin phrase that means a behavior may be a crime in one society or culture but not in another is 'prohibitum'. This touches upon the concept that what is considered a crime is often relative and can vary significantly across different societies and legal systems. While the actions such as adultery may lead to legal sanctions and penalties like infamy or loss of Roman citizenship in ancient Rome, such behaviors may not be criminalized in some modern societies. This variance is also reflected in current legal practices where mitigating factors such as 'provocation' can influence the punishment for crimes like murder or violence, illustrating that legality and morality are not always consistent across places and times.
To illustrate this point further, we can consider the actions of civil rights activists during the 1960s in the United States, who often intentionally violated laws as part of their effort to bring about racial equality. While at the time these actions were considered criminal, history now views these individuals as champions of social justice. Similarly, actions that were once punishable can now be understood in a different light, with new cultural and legal frameworks reevaluating what behaviors are considered criminal law infractions and which ones are not.