Final answer:
Hanukkah is the word from the list that best fits the definition 'commemorates the cleansing of the temple by the Maccabees'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The word from the list that best fits the definition 'commemorates the cleansing of the temple by the Maccabees' is Hanukkah.
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that lasts for eight nights and commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. According to Jewish tradition, the Maccabees, a group of Jewish warriors, successfully fought against the Seleucid Empire and cleansed the temple from Greek influence.