diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/audit.py b/lib/spack/spack/audit.py
index ac05919f025..a93e151636e 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/audit.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/audit.py
@@ -1010,7 +1010,7 @@ def _issues_in_depends_on_directive(pkgs, error_cls):
             for dep_name, dep in deps_by_name.items():
 
                 def check_virtual_with_variants(spec, msg):
-                    if not spec.virtual or not spec.variants:
+                    if not spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(spec.name) or not spec.variants:
                         return
                     error = error_cls(
                         f"{pkg_name}: {msg}",
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/binary_distribution.py b/lib/spack/spack/binary_distribution.py
index 1135f9bd007..28e339f611f 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/binary_distribution.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/binary_distribution.py
@@ -2529,10 +2529,10 @@ def install_root_node(
         allow_missing: when true, allows installing a node with missing dependencies
     """
     # Early termination
-    if spec.external or spec.virtual:
-        warnings.warn("Skipping external or virtual package {0}".format(spec.format()))
+    if spec.external or not spec.concrete:
+        warnings.warn("Skipping external or abstract spec {0}".format(spec.format()))
         return
-    elif spec.concrete and spec.installed and not force:
+    elif spec.installed and not force:
         warnings.warn("Package for spec {0} already installed.".format(spec.format()))
         return
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/providers.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/providers.py
index 8ae3cd40af7..80ece18e8d8 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/providers.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/providers.py
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@ def providers(parser, args):
     specs = spack.cmd.parse_specs(args.virtual_package)
 
     # Check prerequisites
-    non_virtual = [str(s) for s in specs if not s.virtual or s.name not in valid_virtuals]
+    non_virtual = [
+        str(s)
+        for s in specs
+        if not spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(s.name) or s.name not in valid_virtuals
+    ]
     if non_virtual:
         msg = "non-virtual specs cannot be part of the query "
         msg += "[{0}]\n".format(", ".join(non_virtual))
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/concretize.py b/lib/spack/spack/concretize.py
index 78a46a33ab8..ae7cd7cd939 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/concretize.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/concretize.py
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ def concretize_one(spec: Union[str, Spec], tests: TestsType = False) -> Spec:
     opt, i, answer = min(result.answers)
     name = spec.name
     # TODO: Consolidate this code with similar code in solve.py
-    if spec.virtual:
+    if spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(spec.name):
         providers = [s.name for s in answer.values() if s.package.provides(name)]
         name = providers[0]
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/database.py b/lib/spack/spack/database.py
index 6b20e09fe39..76596e3c771 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/database.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/database.py
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@
     Union,
 )
 
+import spack.repo
+
 try:
     import uuid
 
@@ -1556,7 +1558,12 @@ def _query(
         # If we did fine something, the query spec can't be virtual b/c we matched an actual
         # package installation, so skip the virtual check entirely. If we *didn't* find anything,
         # check all the deferred specs *if* the query is virtual.
-        if not results and query_spec is not None and deferred and query_spec.virtual:
+        if (
+            not results
+            and query_spec is not None
+            and deferred
+            and spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(query_spec.name)
+        ):
             results = [spec for spec in deferred if spec.satisfies(query_spec)]
 
         return results
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/relocate.py b/lib/spack/spack/relocate.py
index f2d0089eba0..045995169ed 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/relocate.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/relocate.py
@@ -406,8 +406,8 @@ def fixup_macos_rpaths(spec):
     entries which makes it harder to adjust with ``install_name_tool
     -delete_rpath``.
     """
-    if spec.external or spec.virtual:
-        tty.warn("external or virtual package cannot be fixed up: {0!s}".format(spec))
+    if spec.external or not spec.concrete:
+        tty.warn("external/abstract spec cannot be fixed up: {0!s}".format(spec))
         return False
 
     if "platform=darwin" not in spec:
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py b/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py
index 91cea4d1a24..fc568770748 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/solver/asp.py
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ def _compute_specs_from_answer_set(self):
             # The specs must be unified to get here, so it is safe to associate any satisfying spec
             # with the input. Multiple inputs may be matched to the same concrete spec
             node = SpecBuilder.make_node(pkg=input_spec.name)
-            if input_spec.virtual:
+            if spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(input_spec.name):
                 providers = [
                     spec.name for spec in answer.values() if spec.package.provides(input_spec.name)
                 ]
@@ -2080,7 +2080,11 @@ def _spec_clauses(
         f: Union[Type[_Head], Type[_Body]] = _Body if body else _Head
 
         if spec.name:
-            clauses.append(f.node(spec.name) if not spec.virtual else f.virtual_node(spec.name))
+            clauses.append(
+                f.node(spec.name)
+                if not spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(spec.name)
+                else f.virtual_node(spec.name)
+            )
         if spec.namespace:
             clauses.append(f.namespace(spec.name, spec.namespace))
 
@@ -2107,7 +2111,7 @@ def _spec_clauses(
 
             for value in variant.value_as_tuple:
                 # ensure that the value *can* be valid for the spec
-                if spec.name and not spec.concrete and not spec.virtual:
+                if spec.name and not spec.concrete and not spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(spec.name):
                     variant_defs = vt.prevalidate_variant_value(
                         self.pkg_class(spec.name), variant, spec
                     )
@@ -2667,7 +2671,9 @@ def setup(
         # Fail if we already know an unreachable node is requested
         for spec in specs:
             missing_deps = [
-                str(d) for d in spec.traverse() if d.name not in self.pkgs and not d.virtual
+                str(d)
+                for d in spec.traverse()
+                if d.name not in self.pkgs and not spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(d.name)
             ]
             if missing_deps:
                 raise spack.spec.InvalidDependencyError(spec.name, missing_deps)
@@ -2884,7 +2890,11 @@ def literal_specs(self, specs):
                     pkg_name = clause.args[1]
                     self.gen.fact(fn.mentioned_in_literal(trigger_id, root_name, pkg_name))
 
-            requirements.append(fn.attr("virtual_root" if spec.virtual else "root", spec.name))
+            requirements.append(
+                fn.attr(
+                    "virtual_root" if spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(spec.name) else "root", spec.name
+                )
+            )
             cache[imposed_spec_key] = (effect_id, requirements)
             self.gen.fact(fn.pkg_fact(spec.name, fn.condition_effect(condition_id, effect_id)))
 
@@ -4085,10 +4095,10 @@ def _check_input_and_extract_concrete_specs(specs):
         reusable = []
         for root in specs:
             for s in root.traverse():
-                if s.virtual:
-                    continue
                 if s.concrete:
                     reusable.append(s)
+                elif spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(s.name):
+                    continue
                 spack.spec.Spec.ensure_valid_variants(s)
         return reusable
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/solver/input_analysis.py b/lib/spack/spack/solver/input_analysis.py
index 16ecaea4495..61c45b2c8f1 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/solver/input_analysis.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/solver/input_analysis.py
@@ -381,7 +381,9 @@ def __init__(
             self.all_types = dt.LINK | dt.RUN | dt.BUILD
 
         self._possible_dependencies: Set[str] = set()
-        self._possible_virtuals: Set[str] = set(x.name for x in specs if x.virtual)
+        self._possible_virtuals: Set[str] = {
+            x.name for x in specs if spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(x.name)
+        }
 
     def possible_dependencies(self) -> Set[str]:
         """Returns the list of possible dependencies"""
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/spec.py b/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
index d78246daa46..9dba2cbdff1 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
@@ -1915,6 +1915,12 @@ def package_class(self):
 
     @property
     def virtual(self):
+        warnings.warn(
+            "`Spec.virtual` is deprecated and will be removed in version 1.0.0. Use "
+            "`spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(spec.name)` instead.",
+            category=spack.error.SpackAPIWarning,
+            stacklevel=2,
+        )
         return spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(self.name)
 
     @property
@@ -3090,7 +3096,7 @@ def validate_or_raise(self):
         # FIXME: raise just the first one encountered
         for spec in self.traverse():
             # raise an UnknownPackageError if the spec's package isn't real.
-            if (not spec.virtual) and spec.name:
+            if spec.name and not spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(spec.name):
                 spack.repo.PATH.get_pkg_class(spec.fullname)
 
             # validate compiler in addition to the package name.
@@ -3099,7 +3105,7 @@ def validate_or_raise(self):
                     raise UnsupportedCompilerError(spec.compiler.name)
 
             # Ensure correctness of variants (if the spec is not virtual)
-            if not spec.virtual:
+            if not spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(spec.name):
                 Spec.ensure_valid_variants(spec)
                 substitute_abstract_variants(spec)
 
@@ -3334,7 +3340,9 @@ def intersects(self, other: Union[str, "Spec"], deps: bool = True) -> bool:
 
         # If the names are different, we need to consider virtuals
         if self.name != other.name and self.name and other.name:
-            if self.virtual and other.virtual:
+            self_virtual = spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(self.name)
+            other_virtual = spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(other.name)
+            if self_virtual and other_virtual:
                 # Two virtual specs intersect only if there are providers for both
                 lhs = spack.repo.PATH.providers_for(str(self))
                 rhs = spack.repo.PATH.providers_for(str(other))
@@ -3342,8 +3350,8 @@ def intersects(self, other: Union[str, "Spec"], deps: bool = True) -> bool:
                 return bool(intersection)
 
             # A provider can satisfy a virtual dependency.
-            elif self.virtual or other.virtual:
-                virtual_spec, non_virtual_spec = (self, other) if self.virtual else (other, self)
+            elif self_virtual or other_virtual:
+                virtual_spec, non_virtual_spec = (self, other) if self_virtual else (other, self)
                 try:
                     # Here we might get an abstract spec
                     pkg_cls = spack.repo.PATH.get_pkg_class(non_virtual_spec.fullname)
@@ -3448,7 +3456,9 @@ def satisfies(self, other: Union[str, "Spec"], deps: bool = True) -> bool:
         # If the names are different, we need to consider virtuals
         if self.name != other.name and self.name and other.name:
             # A concrete provider can satisfy a virtual dependency.
-            if not self.virtual and other.virtual:
+            if not spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(self.name) and spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(
+                other.name
+            ):
                 try:
                     # Here we might get an abstract spec
                     pkg_cls = spack.repo.PATH.get_pkg_class(self.fullname)
@@ -3516,7 +3526,7 @@ def satisfies(self, other: Union[str, "Spec"], deps: bool = True) -> bool:
         lhs_edges: Dict[str, Set[DependencySpec]] = collections.defaultdict(set)
         for rhs_edge in other.traverse_edges(root=False, cover="edges"):
             # If we are checking for ^mpi we need to verify if there is any edge
-            if rhs_edge.spec.virtual:
+            if spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(rhs_edge.spec.name):
                 rhs_edge.update_virtuals(virtuals=(rhs_edge.spec.name,))
 
             if not rhs_edge.virtuals:
@@ -3562,7 +3572,7 @@ def satisfies(self, other: Union[str, "Spec"], deps: bool = True) -> bool:
 
     def virtual_dependencies(self):
         """Return list of any virtual deps in this spec."""
-        return [spec for spec in self.traverse() if spec.virtual]
+        return [spec for spec in self.traverse() if spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(spec.name)]
 
     @property  # type: ignore[misc] # decorated prop not supported in mypy
     def patches(self):
@@ -4850,7 +4860,9 @@ def reconstruct_virtuals_on_edges(spec):
     possible_virtuals = set()
     for node in spec.traverse():
         try:
-            possible_virtuals.update({x for x in node.package.dependencies if Spec(x).virtual})
+            possible_virtuals.update(
+                {x for x in node.package.dependencies if spack.repo.PATH.is_virtual(x)}
+            )
         except Exception as e:
             warnings.warn(f"cannot reconstruct virtual dependencies on package {node.name}: {e}")
             continue