1. A child's game in which players march to music around a group of chairs that contains one chair less than the number of players; when the music abruptly stops the players scramble to sit and the player who does not find a chair is eliminated; then a chair is removed and the march resumes until only the winner is seated
   "The children played musical chairs at the birthday party";
   - going to Jerusalem [US]
    
2. A rearrangement that has no practical effect or significance
   "the company is looking for stability after years of musical chairs with directors"; "shareholders don't want the company playing musical chairs with their investment"

Type of: child's game, rearrangement

Encyclopedia: Musical chairs