Transcendent describes something that goes far above the ordinary — so far above that normal measurements stop being useful. A transcendent performance is not just a very good one; it is one that leaves the category behind, where you stop comparing the singer to other singers. That is the everyday use, and it is high praise, common in writing about sport, music and art. The second use is religious and philosophical, and it is older. A transcendent God is one existing outside and above the created world, not inside it — the opposite word there is 'immanent', meaning present within the world. Philosophers use 'transcendent' for whatever lies beyond the reach of human experience and knowledge. There is also a rarer noun use, 'the transcendent', meaning that realm itself. Because both uses are lofty, the word feels formal and a bit grand; in ordinary speech people say 'amazing' or 'out of this world'.