Is this your crossword clue?
"exceptional" is also used as a crossword clue. If that's what you saw, the answer is often surpassing (10 letters).
Definitions
surpassing what is common or usual or expected
Word origin
From exception + -al.
Used in a sentence
“What an exceptional meal!”
“The origins of the conditions and disorders that exceptional learners have are not always well understood.”
“The quality of the beer was exceptional.”
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Used as a crossword answer2 curated clues
01“Unusually good”11 letters
02“Special”11 letters
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