Previous studies have attempted to assess the relation between different dietary patterns and the risk of endometrial cancer (EC); however, a consistent perspective has not been established to date. Therefore, we carried out this meta-analysis to evaluate the associations between dietary patterns and the risk of EC. The most common dietary patterns with high loadings of foods and/or nutrients were selected. A total of 27 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the present meta-analysis. There was evidence of a decreased risk of EC in the highest compared with the lowest categories of healthy dietary pattern [odds ratio (OR)=0.74; confidence interval (CI): 0.62-0.88; P=0.008]. An increased risk of EC was shown for the highest compared with the lowest category of a western-style dietary pattern (OR=1.37; CI: 1.15-1.64; P=0.0005). No significant association with the risk of EC was found in the highest compared with the lowest category of alcohol-drinking pattern (OR=0.98; CI: 0.73-1.30; P=0.87). The results of this meta-analysis indicate that some dietary patterns may be associated with the risk of EC.