noun
contest for power; jockeying for position
A literary and somewhat archaic term for vying for political power or supremacy. Often used in historical or metaphorical contexts, such as the struggle among warlords or factions. Not common in everyday speech.
戦国時代は、大名たちが天下を目指して逐鹿を繰り広げた。
During the Warring States period, feudal lords engaged in a contest for power, aiming to rule the land.
政界では、次の総裁の座をめぐって激しい逐鹿が続いている。
In the political world, fierce jockeying for position continues over the next party leadership.
From Chinese 逐鹿 (zhúlù), literally 'chasing the deer', an allusion to the struggle for the throne. The deer symbolizes the empire or supreme power. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is conventionally associated with this metaphor.