With respect to the crosslinked polymeric dispersants of the present invention, the carboxylic acid monomers utilizable in preparing the same are those which contain at least one active carbon-to-carbon double bond in the ??, ??-position with respect to a carboxyl group thusly ##STR1## wherein R' is hydrogen or a -COOH group, and each of R and R' is a hydrogen or a monovalent substituent group w