 Finite intersection characterization of compactness

A topological space is compact exactly when every family of closed sets with the finite intersection property has nonempty intersection. Take complements and apply De Morgan's laws: an empty total intersection corresponds to an open cover, while an empty finite intersection corresponds to a finite subcover. This works without any Hausdorff condition. With the convention that an empty-family intersection is the whole ambient set, the finite intersection property includes nonemptiness of that ambient set, and the criterion correctly treats the empty compact space.