The phosphoinositide 3‑kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway appears to be a key regulator in cervical carcinogenesis. The phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) protein is principally involved in the homeostatic maintenance of PI3K/Akt signaling and PTEN has been identified to play an important role in the occurrence and development of cervical cancer. MicroRNA (miRNA)‑494 has been proven to be involved in the carcinogenesis and development of various types of cancer by directly targeting PTEN. However the role, mechanism and clinical significance of miR‑494 in cervical cancer have not been further reported. In the present study, we analyzed the expression of miR‑494 in cervical cancer cell lines and clinical specimens by RT‑qPCR, and explored the association of miR‑494 with PTEN expression and clinicopathological data of cervical cancer patients. The results showed that miR‑494 expression was significantly upregulated in human cervical cancer cell lines and tissues. miR‑494 upregulation was significantly associated with PTEN downregulation, adverse clinicopathological characteristics, poor overall and progression‑free survival and poor prognosis. In vitro experiments showed that inhibition of miR‑494 suppressed cell proliferation and growth by directly targeting the 3'‑untranslated region (3'‑UTR) of PTEN mRNA. These findings identified a novel molecular mechanism involved in the regulation of PTEN expression and cervical cancer progression. Results of the present study indicated that miR‑494 may have an essential role in the carcinogenesis and progression of cervical cancer and targeting miR‑494 may be a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cervical cancer.