Emerging evidence suggests that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve a key role in malignant transformation, tumor progression and metastasis. Increased expression of lncRNA p53 upregulated regulator of P53 levels (PURPL) has been reported to promote tumorigenicity in colorectal cancer; however, the role and potential mechanisms of PURPL in the development of liver cancer remain unclear. We employed reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction to detect PURPL and p53 mRNA expression in liver cancer tissues and cell lines. Cell Counting Kit‑8 and colony‑forming assays were used to examine the cell proliferation; whereas, flow cytometry was applied to detect apoptosis and cell cycle progression. p53 expression was detected by western blotting. The results revealed that PURPL was significantly upregulated in liver cancer tissues compared with in paracancerous tissues, and was associated with tumor differentiation stage and tumor size. PURPL was also upregulated in various liver cancer cell lines. Silencing of PURPL inhibited liver cancer cells proliferation, blocked cell cycle progression, and promoted apoptosis. Most importantly, PURPL expression was negatively correlated with p53 mRNA expression. In summary, lncRNA‑PURPL was proposed to promote cell proliferation in liver cancer by regulating the p53 gene. As such, it could serve as a potential therapeutic target for the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer.