Definition
A sky condition reported when clouds cover five-eighths to seven-eighths (5/8 to 7/8) of the sky. When broken clouds form the lowest layer at or below 20,000 feet AGL, that layer constitutes a ceiling.
Plain English
More than half but not all of the sky is covered with clouds. If this layer is low enough, it counts as the ceiling for flight planning.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation weather reports and instrument procedure planning when checking cloud height near an airport.
Derivation
Broken comes from the ordinary idea of something being split into pieces or interrupted by gaps. That helps here because a broken cloud layer is not solid overcast; it has gaps, but clouds still cover most of the sky.
Why Pilots Care
Broken layers establish a ceiling, which directly affects whether a flight can be conducted VFR, whether an instrument approach is required, and whether minimums for departure or landing are met.
Analogy
Picture the visible sky divided into eight equal parts. Broken means five, six, or seven of those parts are covered by clouds.
Intuition Check
Broken does not mean the clouds are damaged, scattered lightly, or that the report is incomplete. In FAA weather language, broken means a specific amount of cloud cover: 5/8 to 7/8 of the sky.
Example Sentence 1
The METAR reported broken clouds at 1,200 feet, establishing the ceiling and requiring an IFR clearance for departure.
Example Sentence 2
With broken coverage the pilot could still see the ground between cloud patches.