motivation

a reason for doing something

Tim’s motivation for studying so hard was to get the highest grade on the test.

heritage

traditions and beliefs that a group considers important to its history

Some American Indians honor their heritage by playing lacrosse, a game their ancestors invented.

defiance

a refusal to follow rules or directions

The protesters showed their defiance of an unjust law by staging a sit-in.

boycott

a type of protest in which people refuse to use a service or buy a product

During the Montgomery bus boycott, African-Americans stopped riding city buses.

sarcophagus

a stone coffin

George Washington’s sarcophagus is in a tomb at his former home, Mount Vernon, in Virginia.